April 11, 2013. Representative Mark Meadows (NC-11) released the following statement after introducing the Common Sense in Compensation Act of 2013.
This legislation would prohibit federal employee bonuses for the rest of Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 and cap bonuses at a maximum of 5% of salary through the end of FY 2015. Not meant to stifle merit-based pay, this legislation would give federal agencies the option to give out individual bonuses on a situational basis if justified in writing.
“Over the past two months, federal official after federal official has talked about the need to furlough employees due to sequestration,” Meadows said. “Yet, the government has been handing out millions of dollars in bonuses to federal employees. Forcing regular, often blue-collar federal workers to face furloughs while senior employees cash in is unacceptable. That is why I introduced the Common Sense in Compensation Act today.
“In FY 2010, 75 percent of Senior Executive Service employees received bonuses at an average of $13,081 per person. The Federal Aviation Administration has been threatening 90-minute waits for airline passengers, but they handed out bonuses at or above $40,000 to 86 employees in FY 2011. The federal government has no business handing out millions in bonuses to senior-level staff while beginning to furlough other employees. These bonuses exemplify Washington’s spending problem, and we need sound legislation to restore common sense in federal employee compensation.”
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