Jeb Bush Proposes Benefit Cuts for Federal Employees in Candidacy Run

According to Presidential candidate, Republican Jeb Bush proposed making major cuts to the size of the federal government, specifically federal employees. Bush argued that a lot of money is diverted to the hiring and promoting of federal employees who may not deserve it.

In a speech in Tallahassee, Tennessee he said, that employees are “hired, promoted and given pay increases without regard to performance.” Bush proposed reforms that would change the way the federal workforce runs.

Proposed Changes to Federal Employee Benefits

Among his proposed changes for federal employees and federal employee benefits included a hiring freeze to help reduce the size of the workforce. Essentially, federal agencies would only be allowed to hire one new employee for every three that left. Bush’s proposal cut could the number of federal employees by 10 percent within five years. Bush said that not all retiring federal employees should be replaced. While this would save money for the government, it was also directly impact daily roles of some already stretched federal employees.

According to Bush, this cut in employment would not require the firing of current employees, but could save the government billions of dollars without directly contributing to unemployment. Bush also said that too many federal employees are continuing to be paid, and even promoted, when they may not deserve it. Bush proposed performance-based raises, which would offer an incentive for better federal employees.

Staying Longer under Current Federal Employee Pay System

Bush told supporters that the current payment system for most federal employees promotes staying around longer. Essentially, you get more money the longer you stay, instead of promoting more efficient workdays. Instead of the current federal employee pay system, Bush proposed that federal employee payment benefits focus on the ability of the employee to help reduce federal spending through their actions.

Currently, some 2.1 million federal employees receive a pay raise every year because of the current pay system. Bush said changing this method could save the federal payroll a lot of money. While Bush called for a reduction in nearly all federal jobs, he did concede that national security positions should be exempt for the hiring freeze.

Bush’s reasoning behind the proposed cut is stemmed on his believe that “just like the real world, compensation should depend on the type of work and the quality of the work,” as opposed to how long an employee has managed to hang on.

Bush also argued that federal employees make some $1500 more per year than private counterparts do and an estimated $16,000 in federal benefits. Bush did not cite his sources for these numbers and there has been a long-lasting debate between conservatives and federal employee groups on who actually makes more money.

Bush also proposed making changes to the way federal agencies can fire employees. Bush argued that while there are plenty of excellent federal employees, most of them receive the same treatment as those who do not put as much effort or care into their jobs. Bush also said that federal agencies should have an easier time removing ineffective employees from the ranks. “Job security is one thing; job entitlement is another…” Bush said.

If Bush makes it to the White House, he will likely begin by directing state agencies to cut back their workforce by close to 25 percent.