Benjamin Gilman: “I joined with the chairman of the Government Reform Committee's Civil Service Subcommittee, Chairman Mica, to support…”

“I joined with the chairman of the Government Reform Committee's Civil Service Subcommittee, Chairman Mica, to support H.R. 3870, a bill written at the request of the administration to allow AID to offer up to 100 employees, who voluntarily resign, severance payments up to a cap of $25,000. As you know, in the Foreign Service employees are entitled 1 month severance per year of service. Civil Service employees are entitled to 1 week severance per year of service. Over the past few years, AID's personnel reduced in size from approximately 11,000 to 8,000 employees, mainly using hiring freezes that cause AID to lose approximately 120 employees per year. While the Appropriations Committee provided AID with an operating expense appropriation level they were assured would prevent layoffs, further cuts in the President's own fiscal year 1997 budget request caused AID to accelerate personnel reductions. AID is currently in the process of laying off 200 employees by conducting a formal reduction in force [RIF] of 97 Foreign Service and 103 Civil Service employees. Rather than lay off all 200 employees, AID would like to offer up to 100 employees who voluntarily resign, and are not already eligible to retire, the opportunity to receive the severance payment they would have received if they had been laid off, up to a cap of $25,000. In this way, AID hopes to have 100 volunteers take the place of at least half of those people scheduled to be laid off.”