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View Full Version : Dr. No Succeeds in Killing Sick-Leave Bill, For Now




Bradley in DC
07-28-2009, 11:20 AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072702981.html?hpid=politics

Dr. No Succeeds in Killing Sick-Leave Bill, For Now

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) was incensed by the bill's $3.1 billion price tag. (By Melina Mara -- The Washington Post)

Republican Sen. Tom Coburn, a Muskogee, Okla., physician, earned that moniker with his consistent objection to legislation that he regards as an irresponsible use of the government's money.

His latest target was a bill eagerly awaited by many federal employees. The measure, among other things, would have allowed those in the Federal Employee Retirement System to count unused sick leave in their retirement calculations.

Coburn saw this as an insult to others who are suffering during the recession.

"I was mortified at the lack of sensitivity to the rest of this country, placing federal employees' very good benefits -- enhancing those above the negatives that are occurring to every family in this country based on our economic situation. Even if we were not having a tough economic time, it would still be wrong to do this," Coburn said in a speech on the Senate floor last week.

Dr. No was incensed by the bill's $3.1 billion price tag. The government should take that money and create employment "so people have jobs in this country rather than paying federal workers," he said . . .