Political Quotes

“I thank my colleague, Gerry Connolly, for his strong leadership on this issue. I rise in strong support of H. Res. 790 and in strong support of a long-overdue cost-of-living increase for Federal civil servants. Many will remember the President's callous executive order of December 30, right in the middle of the shutdown, freezing Federal workers' salaries while hundreds of thousands of them were furloughed or, worse, working without pay. Federal employees are not the swamp, as some would have you believe. Federal employees are the people who make sure that Social Security checks are mailed on time each month. They are the scientists researching cures for cancer. They are tour guides in our national parks. They are FBI agents investigating criminal activity. They are the air traffic controllers and TSA agents keeping us safe when we fly. We saw during the shutdown how important every dollar of every paycheck is for Federal employees to pay their bills, to pay their rent, to pay their mortgage, to afford childcare, to pay off their student loans, and, yes, even to feed their families. It is time to give Federal employees the pay raise and the respect they deserve, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. The Acting CHAIR. Members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities toward the President.”