Tom Coburn: “I, however, wanted to speak, because I am adamantly opposed to this bill as it is written, and I wanted to spend a…”

“I, however, wanted to speak, because I am adamantly opposed to this bill as it is written, and I wanted to spend a minute so that my colleagues can know why. In this bill, we have a 4.8 percent increase for federal workers. A third of them will receive another 3 percent increase. That is a 7.8 percent increase. Now, as we look at what the average federal worker, and this comes from the Federal Government statistics, not my statistics, the average Federal Government worker who works in the D.C. area, Maryland, Virginia and the D.C. area, their present average salary is $57,371. With this increase, which is four-tenths of a percent above what the President asked for, they will receive on average a $2,754 a year raise. That is $1.40 an hour is what the average federal employee is. Now, I want to contrast with, we are going to give our seniors in Social Security a 1.8 percent increase. That is what we are going to give the seniors that are out there struggling to make it on their Social Security.”