Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment, but I rise mainly to explain what the special hiring authority is. The so-called title 42 special hiring authority was provided to the Department of Health and Human Services to allow the agency to pay individuals above the GSA pay scale. The authority was created to allow the agency to compete with private-sector salaries for the Nation's best healthcare experts and scientists, given the critical importance of human health and the Federal role in public health. Congress then provided the EPA with this authority for the first time in 2006. It was authorized by Congress in 2006, arguing that the EPA also conducts human health work, such as research and assessment of chemicals. Most recently, the authority of the EPA was renewed in the fiscal year 2022 spending year, which capped the total number of people who could be hired using this special authority to 100 people. The current authority expires at the end of fiscal year 2025. This amendment allows current individuals to continue to be paid using the special authority but blocks any additional staff from being hired under this authority. Remember, this expires at the end of 2025, and I would hope that the authorizing committees would take it up and decide what they want to do in the future, but not do this through an amendment.…”