·EXTENSIONS of REMARKS CONGRESSMAN PAUL SIMON Where He Specializes in the Defense Area

April 3, 1978 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 8505 ·EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS CONGRESSMAN PAUL SIMON where he specializes in the defense area. He simply could not get rid of a high -sala PRAISES LEADERSHIP OF HOUSE is plain-spoken in his comments in debate ried, incompetent worker and had or and in private conversJ.tion with his col AND SENATE BUDGET COMMIT leagues. He is respected in the House, and dered that no task of any kind be as TEES his voice on issues is listened to, though signed to the worker in the hope of often he and the rest of us on the Budget shaming him into retirement. Promotion Committee get outvoted. policies are just as bad. Pay raises have HON. JOHN BRADEMAS Muskie, long prominent on the national become virtually automatic. In 1977 only OF INDIANA scene, needs no introduction But as chair 600 persons were denied a merit increase IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES man of the Senate Budget Committee he has out of millions who were eligible. Such found his niche, and the soft-spoken Maine Monday, April 3, 1978 promotion policies stifle initiative, re accent conceals a basic toughness which his ward mediocrity, and pay some bureau ~ Mr. BRADEMAS. Mr. Speaker, I be present post requires. He has emerged as one lieve that Members of both the House of the powerful figures in the Senate. crats very handsomely for doing very and Senate will read with great interest No less a contribution has been made by a little. quiet Oklahoma Republican Senator who is The President's plan would create an the following newsletter, "P.S. Washing not widely known around the nation, but ton", by our distinguished colleague, the elite corps of 9,000 top Federal managers has shown amazing courage and leadership who would trade job security for a Hon. PAUL SIMON of lllinois, concerning In Budget matters and in other areas. I mean the outstanding leadership given to the no disrespect to my House colleagues when chance at higher pay. The percentage of House and Senate Budget Committees I say there is no counterpart to Senator political appointees in such positions by three other distinguished colleagues, Bellman in he House. would remain as it is, but directors of the Hon. ROBERT GIAIMO of Connecticut, If a secret vote were to be taken among agencies would have more discretion in chairman of the House Budget Commit Senators and House members of both par placement. The plan would establish a ties on who in our two bodies is making a fair and comprehensive system for pro tee; the Hon. EDMUND S. MUSKIE Of substantial contribution to the nation, Sen Maine, the chairman of the Senate tecting employees against abuses by ator Bellman's name would emerge high on splitting the Civil Service Commission Budget Committee; and the Hon. HENRY the l~t--perhaps to the surpr~e of many BELLMON of Oklahoma, the ranking mi who would look to those who get their faces into two agencies--one in the White nority member of the Senate Budget on television more often. House to manage the bureaucracy itself Committee. There is no way the nation can adequately and the other an independent agency to Mr. SIMON's newsletter, a weekly col thank these three men. Their contribution protect employee rights and privileges umn, follows: has been-and continues to be-immense. and by shielding dissident workers who Perhaps I can say "thank you" in a small "blow the whistle" on Government waste BUDGET COMMI'I"rEE LEADERS wa.y by telling the people of Southern Illi and corruption. The plan would also cut "Can we make the budget process work?" nois ab:>ut them.e is a question the chairman of the House back to 10 years the lifetime advantages Budget Committee, Rep. Robert Giaimo of in hiring and job retention now given to Connecticut, often asks privately-and nondisabled veterans and would elimi sometimes in public-as he sees the House CIVIT.. SERVICE REFORM nate the preferential hiring of senior and Senate occasionally act with almost no military officers, making it more difficult concern for the fiscal implications of its for them to "double-dip." Finally, the actions. HON. LEE H. HAMIL TON plan would streamline rules for the hir In 1974 Congress passed legislation creat ing of women, minorities, and the handi ing the House and Senate Budget Commit OF INDIANA tees, primarily with two purposes in mind: IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES capped and would permit more decision making in agencies and regional Federal first, to restrain spending, and second, to Monday, April 3, 1978 set priorities. offices. The first of those two, restraining spend e Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, it is The adoption of the plan is by no ing, we have worked on with limited success. time to overhaul the civil service to make means assured. In fact, the President has For those who see the Budget Committees the vast Federal work force more com already negotiated for a year just to get as failures in holding back spending, let me petent, more efficient, and more respon assure you that the deficit would be many his proposal before Congress. Other billions greater were it not for the limiting sive to the President's direction and the Presidents have tried to reorganize the factor of the Budget Committees. We may ordinary citizen's needs. bureaucracy without notable success, and not have done all we should, but deficits President Carter has just submitted to they have quickly learned that many ob have been reduced substantially and the Congress the most sweeping reform of stacles block the path to reform. Bureau tires of inflation have been dampened a little. the civil service ever proposed. The initi cratic passions are aroused, various The second function of our committees ative is the centerpiece of the President's groups are unhappy with the weakening setting priorities-has not been grasped fully of their preferences, and many people and probably will not be until the two com Government reorganization program. mittees start to go into five-year projections He wants to make it easier to hire, as fear that the effort to crack down on a rather than one-year projections. That ap sign, and fire Federal employees and to small minority of shiftless or unproduc pears to be coming. (Rep. John Conyers of reward top civil servants who do their tive employees erodes legitimate rights Michigan-not a member of our commit job well. As the President says, he is try and privileges. The plan does give Federal tee-has done more to prod us in the right ing to put merit back into the merit sys workers broader collective bargaining direction or setting priorities than any other tem and the work ethic back into the rights, but the unions are still divided on member of Congress.) public's business. it. The only unshakable ally of the plan To the degree the House and Senate Budg is et Committees have been successful during The present civil service code is a 21- the general public. Many citizens have my limtted time on the House committee, volume tangle of obscure rules and regu become weary and resentful of a bu the credit must go to three people: Rep. lations. Procedures for firing incompe reaucracy that forever costs more and Robert Giaimo of Connecticut, Senator Ed tent employees are so cumbersome that yields less. Muskie of Maine and Senator Henry Bellman they are almost worthless to Federal It needs to be emphasized that the real of Oklahoma. managers. Since it can take up to 3 years problem is the civil service, not the civil All three are well over six feet tall but their' stature in Congress comes from 'their to discharge someone for good cause, it servant. Most Federal employees perform courage and substance, not their height. is hardly surprising that only 223 people with integrity and their work is marked Giaimo, the son of Italian immigrant par were separated from the Government by competence and dedication. No one ents knows government expenditures from for poor performance last year. A Cabi is more concerned than they with the his seat on the Appropriations Committee net Secretary recently told me that he Government's inability to deliver on its Statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor will be identified by the use of a "bullet" symbol, i.e., • 8506 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS April 3, 1978 promises. No one is more upset then they care consideration in the development of 1888, the committee has encouraged with the incompetent worker who tar Health Systems Plans and Annual Imple Delaware River navigation projects, and mentation ·Plans. The purpose of this pro nishes their image. The President's plan gram information letter is to acquaint you projects on river tributaries and on the should be seen as a sincere attempt to with the AAP's interest in working with Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. improve the civil service, not as an at us in implementing the health planning I would like to share the views of the tack on the civil servant. Federal em program. committee with my colleagues: ployees should find their legitimate rights In response to the National Health Plan The Ports of Philadelphia rank first among and privileges better protected under the ning and Resources Development Act, the East Coast ports in international waterborne plan, for surely the conscientious em Academy developed two documents for its commerce handled and second among these ployee would benefit from a system that member AAP Chapters concerned with child ports in number of ship calls.

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