House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa said the proposed changes to federal retirement benefits would put government workers on more equal footing with the private sector.
Members and Congressional staff, Issa said, would see their long-term benefits slashed almost in half.
Democrats sought adoption of a number of amendments aimed at making the bill more palatable. One in particular, offered by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Ma.) — ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy, which Ross chairs — would bar the bill from going into effect during a federal workforce pay freeze.
Cummings put forth two amendments that would exempt from the pension formula recalculations all employees receiving salaries below certain thresholds: $100,000 and $30,000.
Along with other proposals, these were rejected along party lines.
Rep. Bill Cassidy has his blood drawn by Alesha Barbour during a free hepatitis screening in the Rayburn House Office Building hosted by the Congressional Viral Hepatitis Caucus to recognize "National Viral Hepatitis Testing Day."
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