Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, not only does this Republican budget resolution not fund military pay raises, but on a party line vote they refused to treat civilian Federal employees the same as military employees as has been done for 50 years. It breaks a precedent, it is not fair to any Federal civilian employees around the country. It is a resolution that should be defeated. Mr. Speaker, when the budget resolution was before the committee last week I offered an amendment which would have ensured that federal civilian and military employees received equitable and fair pay raises for the next ten years as they have for the last fifty years. I expected that the amendment would be noncontroversial and pass. After all, the President recommended a 4.4 percent increase for military and civilian employees, and the Senate recommended a 4.8 percent increase for both. So, I was surprised by the vehement objections raised by those on the other side of the aisle. It failed on a party line vote. Yesterday, I learned why. You see, House Republicans do not support a fair pay raise for either the civilian federal employees or the military.”