I am going to be filing a bill that would require OPM to produce this report annually at the end of March.

Our solemn responsibility is to hold government accountable to taxpayers.

Americans have a right to know that the money Washington takes from them is well spent.

It comes down to the question of who is going to pay for it.

they were supposed to be working, doing EPA work, very important work for, we, the taxpayer; yet they were lobbying Members of Congress to vote against this bill, and that is totally disallowed in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978.

If Federal employees are on official time, can they lobby Congress?

Given that most employees cannot collectively bargain over pay and benefits, can you discuss in detail the sorts of activities labor union representatives negotiate when on official time?

Americans deserve an efficient, effective government that works for them.

And again, as I say, my bill does not do that.

I received as a Member an e-mail from an employee of the Environmental Protection Agency urging me as a Member not to support this amendment.

So would it be fair to say, then, that those times that are reported as official time lobbying Congress are done in pursuance to a contract based on collective bargaining?