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| House Republicans revive obscure rule that allows them to slash the pay of individual federal workers to $1 |
| 2017-01-06 |
| House Republicans this week reinstated an arcane procedural rule that enables lawmakers to reach deep into the budget and slash the pay of an individual federal worker -- down to $1 -- a move that threatens to upend the 130-year-old civil service. The Holman Rule, named after an Indiana congressman who devised it in 1876, empowers any member of Congress to propose amending an appropriations bill to single out a government employee or cut a specific program. The use of the rule would not be simple; a majority of the House and the Senate would still have to approve any such amendment. At the same time, opponents and supporters agree that the work of 2.1 million civil servants, designed to be insulated from politics, is now vulnerable to the whims of elected officials. The revival of the Holman Rule was the brainchild of Rep. H. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), who is intent on increasing the powers of individual members of Congress to reassign workers as policy demands. He favors a strategic application, likening it to a bullet from a sniper rifle rather than a shotgun. It's unlikely -- but not impossible -- that members will "go crazy" and cut huge swaths of the workforce, he said. |
| Posted by:Beavis |
| #7 "now vulnerable to the whims of elected officials" And has been for the past 141 years. |
| Posted by: Fred 2017-01-06 17:54 |
| #6 Also gives a whole new meaning to Robocop's "I'll buy that for a dollar!" |
| Posted by: Pholurt Uloluling1696 2017-01-06 17:43 |
| #5 Live by buried laws/rules.... Me likely! All recent Obama appointees should qualify. |
| Posted by: Pholurt Uloluling1696 2017-01-06 17:42 |
| #4 Destroy the parasites and balance the budget at the same time. Win-win! |
| Posted by: PBMcL 2017-01-06 15:48 |
| #3 a move that threatens to upend the 130-year-old civil service Delenda est. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-01-06 15:08 |
| #2 Anything that could be used to smash the public sector maggotry's rice bowls must be considered. |
| Posted by: no mo uro 2017-01-06 14:04 |
| #1 Considering most of the government has been weaponized for the demoncrats... not a bad rule to use against them. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2017-01-06 14:03 |