Hatch and Coburn Introduce Legislation to Cut Federal Workforce

Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) have introduced legislation to significantly reduce both the size and scope of the federal workforce.

Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) have introduced legislation to significantly reduce both the size and scope of the federal government by freezing federal employees’ salaries and cutting the size of the federal workforce. The Federal Workforce Reduction and Reform Act of 2011 will shrink the federal government with the goal of making it more efficient and fiscally-responsible.

The legislation would:

  • Extend the current pay freeze on federal civilian employees’ salaries by an additional three years
  • Freeze all bonuses, including performance and recruitment bonuses, for that same time period
  • Require a 15 percent reduction in the size of the federal workforce and in the federal contracted workforce over the next 10 years through attrition and simple accounting
  • Provide a 75 percent reduction in the federal government’s annual travel budget, which accounts for more than $15 billion a year, a figure the Senators say is no longer necessary or sustainable

The legislation utilizes the methodology employed by the Fiscal Commission.

“If the recent debate over the debt ceiling has shown anything, it’s that we need to make sure the federal government is forced to live within its means, just as small businesses and working families across the country are,” Hatch said. “We simply must do more to address our runaway government spending and debt. The solutions to these problems don’t need to be complicated. Our bill will generate significant savings – more than $600 billion – by implementing just a small handful of relatively simple reforms.”

About the Author

Ian Smith is one of the co-founders of FedSmith.com. He has over 20 years of combined experience in media and government services, having worked at two government contracting firms and an online news and web development company prior to his current role at FedSmith.