IV 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 388 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives supporting Federal 
employees. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 22, 2013 
Ms. FUDGE (for herself, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 
CUMMINGS, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. POCAN, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, 
Mr. VEASEY, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. HASTINGS of 
Florida, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. HOLT, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Ms. LEE 
of California, Mr. FARR, Mr. NADLER, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. NORTON, Ms. 
JACKSON LEE, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. WATT, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. 
MCGOVERN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. JEFFRIES, Mr. RUSH, Mr. TONKO, 
Ms. CLARKE, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. ENYART, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, 
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. PETERSON, Mr. GUTIE´RREZ, Mr. 
MEEKS, Ms. BASS, Ms. WILSON of Florida, and Ms. PINGREE of Maine) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee 
on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 
supporting Federal employees. 
Whereas for the 18 months between December 2007 and 
June 2009, the United States economy experienced the 
longest and deepest recession of the post-World War II 
era, and, despite a robust national recovery, many indi-
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•HRES 388 IH 
viduals, families, and communities are still struggling to 
recover from that recession; 
Whereas Federal employees inspect the food we eat and the 
places we work, prevent the flow of illicit drugs into our 
Nation, maintain the safety of our Nation’s borders, care 
for our Nation’s veterans, deliver our mail, and keep the 
national defense systems prepared to respond to any 
threat to our safety; 
Whereas Federal employees have already sacrificed nearly 
$100 billion over 10 years to help reduce the Federal 
Government’s deficit by working under a 3-year pay 
freeze, which has lowered their lifetime earnings and re-
tirement income; 
Whereas it has been proposed that pay of Federal employees 
be permanently reduced by a total of 1.2 percent (phased 
in over a 3-year period beginning in 2014) in order to fi-
nance their retirement benefits; 
Whereas President Barack Obama has proposed raising the 
pay of Federal employees by 0.5 percent for fiscal year 
2013 and 1.0 percent for fiscal year 2014, so Federal 
employees’ pay may keep pace with the rising cost of liv-
ing; 
Whereas it has been proposed to decrease the annuity multi-
plier used to determine Federal retirement benefits from 
1.1 percent to 0.7 percent; 
Whereas it has been proposed to eliminate the Federal Em-
ployees Retirement System annuity supplement which is 
available to Federal employees who meet full retirement 
eligibility but have not yet reached the age for Social Se-
curity eligibility; 
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•HRES 388 IH 
Whereas it has been proposed to index Social Security bene-
fits to the Chained Consumer Price Index, which would 
reduce the cost-of-living adjustments that would other-
wise apply to Federal annuities; 
Whereas it has been proposed that any person who has a se-
riously delinquent tax debt would be ineligible for Federal 
employment or to continue serving as a Federal em-
ployee; 
Whereas hiring by the Federal Government has dropped by 
one-third over the past 3 years as a result of budget cuts, 
with the number of new hires hitting a 6-year low in 
2012, representing a 37-percent decrease from 2009; 
Whereas it has been proposed to limit the number of Federal 
employees to ensure it does not exceed 90 percent of the 
total number of Federal employees as of September 30, 
2013; 
Whereas it has been proposed to prohibit Federal agencies 
from hiring more than 1 employee for every 3 full-time 
employees who leave employment with such agencies; 
Whereas over 30,000 jobs in Federal agencies have been lost 
through attrition since January 2012; 
Whereas it has been proposed to convert the Federal Employ-
ees Health Benefits Program into a voucher program 
that would gradually shift most of the costs of health in-
surance to Federal and postal employees and retirees; 
Whereas over 50 percent of the extension under Public Law 
112–96 of the unemployment insurance program, admin-
istered by the States under Department of Labor over-
sight, was financed by an additional 2.3-percent employee 
retirement contribution required for Federal and postal 
employees hired in 2013 and later, resulting in an em-
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•HRES 388 IH 
ployee retirement contribution increase of more than 
$600 per year on Federal employees making an annual 
salary of $27,000 or more; and 
Whereas some Federal employees have taken or will have to 
take furlough days as a result of the sequester pursuant 
to Public Law 112–25; for example, furloughs for certain 
Federal employees working at the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency and the Department of Labor began in April 
2013, and the Department of Defense’s 670,000 civilian 
workforce were furloughed for 6 days by the end of fiscal 
year 2013: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) Congress and the President should end the 
pay freeze for Federal employees, and should pre-
vent any further cuts to the pensions or benefits of 
Federal employees; 
(2) Federal employee contributions to their re-
tirement system should not be increased; 
(3) the annuity multiplier used to determine re-
tirement benefits for Federal employees should not 
be decreased; 
(4) the Federal Employees Retirement System 
annuity supplement should not be eliminated, and 
Federal employees who are eligible to retire should 
be able to do so; 
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•HRES 388 IH 
(5) plans for Social Security reform should not 
include using a Chained Consumer Price Index, 
which would reduce Federal annuities; 
(6) the number of Federal employees hired 
should not be arbitrarily limited; 
(7) neither current nor future Federal employ-
ees should be subject to automatic termination as a 
result of delinquent taxes; 
(8) Federal agencies should be allowed to deter-
mine the hiring strategies that best meet their 
needs, rather than operating under an arbitrary, 
across-the-board hiring policy; 
(9) the Federal Employees Health Benefits 
Program should not be turned into a voucher pro-
gram that shifts the costs of health insurance to em-
ployees and retirees; 
(10) the tax increase on new Federal employees 
that funds part of the extension of the unemploy-
ment insurance program administered by the De-
partment of Labor should be repealed; 
(11) the work that Federal employees perform 
on behalf of the American people should be honored 
and respected; and 
(12) Congress should recognize that efforts to 
reduce the compensation and support provided to 
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•HRES 388 IH 
Federal employees undermine our Government’s 
ability to meet its obligations to its citizens and hurt 
Federal agencies’ ability to recruit and retain a 
high-quality workforce. 
Æ 
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