National President Dougan to Mitt Romney: “Stop Misleading the Public on Federal Pay”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cory Bythrow
Phone: (202) 255-9950

Washington, D.C. – In response to Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s claim that federal workers are paid more than their private sector counterparts at last night’s CNBC debate, NFFE National President William R. Dougan issued the following statement:

“It’s a shame that Governor Romney continues to mislead the public by clinging to the hopelessly flawed argument that federal workers are overpaid. His argument comes from misleading reports peddled by conservative think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation whose radical anti-government agenda immediately disqualifies any potential for objective analysis. The fact is that federal employees make 26.3% less than their counterparts doing similar work in the private sector, as the nonpartisan Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week. That figure has grown by more than two percent over the past year as federal workers endured the first year of a two-year pay freeze. Federal employees are already doing their fair share to reduce the deficit by enduring a prolonged pay freeze on top of their already sub-standard salaries. It’s time for Governor Romney to be honest with the American people and offer real solutions to the debt issue. Financing the federal debt by fleecing VA nurses and doctors, intelligence analysts, and food safety inspectors is an incredibly irresponsible approach. The American people deserve better.”