Willie Hefner: “The Federal Government pays Federal employees' salaries, as well as provides the opportunity for a benefit package. They…”

“The Federal Government pays Federal employees' salaries, as well as provides the opportunity for a benefit package. They pay our salary, they pay benefit packages. That is all taxpayer dollars. We often get into that in debate, about 'taxpayer dollars.' The fact of the matter is, I do not know that we are assuming that what we would intend to do here is to dictate to people what they could do with their own salaries. That is taxpayer money, as well as taxpayer dollars that may be involved in benefits packages. The gentleman helped me to make my point, which is you negotiate a package, salary and benefits, and we are now putting ourselves in the position of dictating what people do with their benefits. Not only that, it is not saying that. What we are only saying here is allow the service to be offered in a benefits package. Some offer it, some do not. My colleague, I know we have had these commentaries over a long period of time, would say to those of us on this side of the aisle, give people the choice. Allow them to select the schools they want their kids to go to, allow them to do what they need to do in their own lives. The Federal Government should stay out of their lives in choice. They have a range of health packages.”