Posted on 01/06/2017 5:50:50 AM PST by RoosterRedux
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
More info (less leftist bias):
Adopting old-school rule would show House is serious about reform
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/lawmaker-news/312234-adopting-old-school-rule-would-show-house-is-serious-about
For the last few years, Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) has championed the revival of the rule. As Griffith explained:
My proposal would give Members of both parties the ability to offer amendments on the floor and in the Appropriations Committee to cut the amount of money an agency could receive, the number of employees that the U.S. government or its agencies could have, and the amount of money that could be paid to an employee of the U.S. government.
Griffith submitted his idea to revive the Holman rule to the House Rules Committee as part of its consideration of rules for the 115th Congress. If approved, the rule would only apply to the first session of the upcoming Congress — that means just for 2017.
And if approved, it will face opposition from the status quo as it is implemented. That is because the rule will make it easier to root out waste, confront crony constitutionalism and turn the appropriations process into a means to reform government, not a way to ratify the inertia of the current appropriations apparatus.
The House leadership is to be commended for its courage in allowing the Holman rule to be considered by the conference, and hopefully approved by the House. And Griffith deserves credit for helping to resurrect the rule. The United States is nearly $20 trillion in debt, with a bureaucracy that is out of control, and federal functions far exceeding what the Constitution permits.
If the Holman rule is adopted, 2017 can be known as the year that Hoosier common sense helped save the Union. It would be a fitting requiem for Rep. William Holman and a practical step toward restoring fiscal sanity in Congress.
I meant to hit Barry’s hires over the past 8 years, but anything that removes his operatives while downsizing the federal government works for me.
And I love the Dems pushing the GOP into playing hardball.
....I wonder how many government money blood sucking liberals will attempt to stay by setting up a Soros based “GoFundMe” account?
She “retired” and is now in hiding. She’s waiting for the Trump DOJ shoe to drop and then she’ll RUN!
“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.”
Great. Now reduce O’bastard’s pay, and pension, to $1.
Ping
The Obama administration has been busy hiring Dems for civil service positions, in the expectation that they can frustrate Trump's initiatives.
Now Trump can just compile a list of all those people and submit to Congress.
Now we can drain the swamp at State and the IRS!
It's an old bureaucratic trick.....hand-pick people and put them on different US govt payrolls....even those the pols tell you are long gone.
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I would bet good money that Hillary put all her people on the State Dept payroll before she exited. Could very well be that Huma and Anthony and the rest of the Hillary factotums are on the govt payroll as no-show govt contractors, still cashing multiple US govt checks, still receiving classified info, getting all the tax-paid perks they can dream up.
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Taxpayers demand to know if Huma Abedin, Cheryl Mills, Sidney Blumenthal, John Podesta, Jennifer Palmieri, Heather Samuelson, and other Clinton cronies are STILL listed as State Dept employees---perhaps as contractors--and are still receiving classified mail and govt paychecks.
Note Brian Pagliano---Hillary's personal IT---left her employ then surfaced on the public payroll as a State Dept contractor.
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Taxpayers demand to know who else among the Clinton cronies are cashing US govt paychecks? It's an old bureaucratic trick for a politician to hand-pick people and put them on the public payroll long after you think they're gone......perhaps as no-show State Dept "contractors."
<><> Hillary?
<><> Bill Clinton?
<><> Huma Abedin?
<><> Anthony Weiner?
<><> Cheryl Mills?
<><> Cheryl mills' live-in David Domenici?
<><> Chelsea Clinton?
<><> Chelsea's husband?
<><> Heather Samuelson?
<><> Sidney Blumenthal?
<><> John Podesta?
<><> Jennifer Palmieri?
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CONTACT CONGRESS HERE: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
Demand Congress send you all available information on individuals connected to Hillary still cashing US govt paychecks. In light of the $6 billion missing from the contractor fund when Hillary exited, taxpayers demand to know who is listed as a State Dept contractor.
Demand to know if Huma, Cheryl Mills and the rest on the list are still presebting vouchers, getting perks.....and perhaps, getting classified information to sell.
Demand Congress secure all the documents Hillary's State Dept submitted and the number of her staff still listed on several govt payrolls. emand to see all the documents Hillary's State Dept submitted and the number of her staff still listed on several govt payrolls.
WOOT!
Give every LIBERAL judge in America a pay cut down to $1 !!!
I bet they will start retiring in droves to be replaced by conservative judges!
Wish it applied to Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Lindsay Graham and John McCain to name a few.
And..make Onambla pay for his secret service detail too.
Cut their salaries to $1 and he can subsidize the rest.
“It’s unlikely — but not impossible — that members will “go crazy” and cut huge swaths of the workforce, he said.”
I love that quote. It’s meant to paint Republicans as negatively as possible, but I would own that with honor, and, I’d actually go crazy.
I think it should be more like 90%.
Any Federal employee with the word “Diversity” in their job title should be on that list.
She’s on a federal pension.
Ought to be in a federal prison.
*************
What is preventing the Trump DOJ from prosecuting her? The congress let her walk but she needs to be held accountable and we need to know all the parties involved in the scheme to weaponize a federal agency against its own citizens.
Easy initial application... Any Federal worker who claims the Fifth in a congressional hearing.
It will be interesting to hear the (D) argument against that one...:^)
That would be an excellent start.
Awesome! cut the dead wood and their pay.
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