Bill Flores: “Our Nation is on the verge of going over a fiscal cliff because Washington has a spending problem. President Obama still…”

“Our Nation is on the verge of going over a fiscal cliff because Washington has a spending problem. President Obama still does not understand this problem as he has recently issued an executive order granting pay increases to most civilian employees and to Members of Congress. I believe that, given our current economic climate and huge Federal deficits, these raises are grossly inappropriate and represent an insult to hardworking American taxpayers. These factors have prompted me to join this legislation to halt these unnecessary salary increases. You have heard arguments today that Federal workers are being victimized by this legislation. Well, here are a few facts that will rebut that assumption: One, the income of the average American private sector family has gone down about $4,000 during the last 4 years; Number two, Federal workers, on average, earn pay and benefits that are equal to about twice that of their private sector counterparts; Number three, Federal workers pay an amount into their Federal retirement plan that is less than one-tenth of the amount that private sector employees have to pay into Social Security; and Four, last year, hardworking American taxpayers had to pay about $40 billion to subsidize the insolvency of the Civil Service Retirement System. Mr. Speaker, for these reasons and the huge deficits of our Federal Government, I support this legislation wholeheartedly.”