Cardin vows to stand with federal workers
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin told a large crowd of federal employees in Suitland on Friday that Maryland's congressional delegation will stand with them as Washington begins the process of looking for deep spending cuts under the new debt ceiling law.
"We're going to stand up and defend what you do every day," Cardin told employees at the U.S. Census Bureau headquarters. "We know the sacrifices that you've made. We know the abuse that you take."
Federal employees have been a central target in the debates over budget cuts in recent months, with lawmakers of both parties suggesting the workforce might have to accept trims to their retirement and other benefits. Maryland is home to 286,810 federal workers, census data show.
Days after Congress approved an unpopular plan Tuesday to raise the debt ceiling through next year and cut about $1 trillion in spending over 10 years, Cardin and other lawmakers have fanned out to explain the plan to voters. Cardin, who is up for election in 2012, spoke with seniors about the debt deal earlier in the week.
"It's time to look at revenue," Cardin said, echoing a mantra Democrats used throughout the months long debt ceiling debate. "It's time to look at our mandatory spending. It's time to look at bringing our soldiers home...it's time to use those savings and to stop looking toward the federal workforce."
The new law calls for an initial round of cuts but also creates a 12-member, bipartisan panel that will be charged with finding a plan by November to reduce budget deficits by an additional $1.5 trillion. If that panel deadlocks, or Congress fails to accept its recommendations, then automatic cuts will kick in.
Either course -- either a compromise by the committee or the automatic cuts -- could leave federal workers vulnerable.
"Americans really appreciate what you do, they just have a hard time expressing it," Cardin told several hundred federal employees at the event, which was organized by several large public-sector unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees. "I can tell you when they get their Social Security check, they're happy...They just take our federal workforce for granted."
Cardin received a round of applause when he noted that the Senate on Friday voted to end the stalemate over the partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration -- a move that will return some 4,000 federal employees to work after two weeks on furlough. Cardin presided over the Senate floor Friday during the pro-forma session in which the FAA legislation was passed.
Nick von Stein, a Census Bureau employee and a member of AFGE said after the event that he wants to see Washington do more to put people back to work -- not just federal employees but also private-sector workers.
"I think he's probably doing what he can, but I don't think there's really anybody out there that's really doing anything to try to get people back to work," von Stein said. "There was the stimulus and now there's nothing."
Comments
So Ben Cardin stands against taxpayers. Too bad the GOP doesn't have a single decent candidate in Maryland
Posted by: Anonymous | August 5, 2011 2:31 PM
Cardin your a liar .That clear enough. You raise the tax on the wealthy they raise the prices on us .So your going to increase sales,gasoline and user taxes to increase revenue that is the only way and you know it. You are breaking the back of those few families with one spouse left holding a job.Probably 40% of people are without jobs when you include those whose unemployement ran out,those who never had jobs and those on unemployement . why don't you guys in both parties just stop lying if you don't cut we're broke.Everyone see if you don't know 4 out of 10 familes that are in this predicament.Mine is 6 out of 10 and two years ago it was 8 out of ten.
Posted by: kevin | August 5, 2011 2:40 PM
Ben, how about you and other members of Congress give back your last pay raise and turn in those big vans we taxpayers are paying for!
Posted by: SkipjackIV | August 5, 2011 2:56 PM
The federal government needs a major haircut. Period!
Senator Cardon and Senator Mikulski are two politicians that have been totally irresponsible and continue to lead our great country toward European Socialism.
Well we are now broke! America needs to cut the size of government, free up the economy by deregulating the private sector, return the peoples taxes to those who pay income taxes and we can crawl our way out of this mess
Cardin and Mikulski of course will do no such thing. We can only hope that we see real change in November 2012 and true constitutional conservatives are elected. If not we will continue toward a destiny of the fate of the Central Block countries (remember Soviet Union) and Europe of today.
We can do better.
Posted by: jeff allen | August 5, 2011 3:08 PM
Ben,
What planet are you on?
To say that the Federal workers are not appreciated? Look at their pay stubs and benefit packages. Not to mention job security......
Posted by: phil | August 5, 2011 3:33 PM
Mr. Cardin, what I would like you to do is cut entitlements to the bone. NOT social security retirement, that is not an entitlement. Recipients paid into it. I want unemployment reduced back to no more than 6 months, and all of the other "welfare" programs cut to the bone. No federal money for abortion either. Enough is enough already. Stop encouraging peopole not to work.
Posted by: PANTYHOSE | August 5, 2011 3:36 PM
How about we forget about the over paid and under work government empolyee and start looking out for the hard working small business, people that get up put their boots on and get in the mud and build this country. The way Maryland is moving toward I can't figure out way anyone would move here unless you worked for the goverment. Small business is just getting over taxed and all of the regulation they put on us mom and papa business we just can't compete with bigger business. So yes it will get tougher before it gets better. But if you are not afraid to get your hands dirty and learn how to manage getting a few less dollars in your paycheck for a little while like the rest of us (a cut in pay, not new taxes) we can turn this around. But we need to make changes in government with less spending. Government should be ran like a business and held accountable for their actions. Thats why most are in the government because they can't handle it in the private world. THANK GOD ITS FRIDAY
Posted by: Greg | August 5, 2011 3:47 PM
Sen Cardin truly is ignorant. He has no idea where the income and wealth the federal govt seizes to finance its workforce comes from. When our dollar plummets to the levels of Greece, Italy and Spain, will this wealthy career pol reimburse each nonpublic employee in MD for the value of their savings, income and assets that have declined since he made this absurd promise of support for a workforce that must and will shrink far more than the minor size the recent debt deal will shape. Mr. Cardin never looks at basic large functions of govt and asks if the functions can be eliminated, reduced, performed by states or cities, or god forbid by individuals or companies that with lower taxes could contribute more to charities or local nonprofits.
Cardin's resume of one political job after another is precisely why people like him, O'Malley, Duncan, Mikulski and most of our congressmen should be term limited. These clowns should be forced tofind jobs in the private sector, and not for firms that do business with govt.
Posted by: didactic1 | August 5, 2011 3:49 PM
Anyone who is critical of the work that
Sen. Cardin does for his constituents has absolutely no knowledge of what
is going on in the Senate.
You'd better count your
blessings that we have him and
Senator Mikulski.
Posted by: sparkle | August 5, 2011 3:51 PM
Mamma Cardin didn't raise no dummies. Ol Ben knows how to count the voters. If looses the fed vote, he looses. The problem is he can have it both ways. The vast majority of his collegues DON'T have a lot of fed emps in their districts and will support efforts to punish the lazy, gov, tit sucking creatins (sarcasim intended in case you missed it).
The problem can't be solved by cuts alone. Left and write wing Commies and Nazis and middle goofs can rail all they want, but they all need to unplug their mouths and plug in their brains, if they have any, and get in compromise mode.
The solution must be a combination of fair and acceptable tax increases and spending reductions, real ones not bookkeeping gimmicks.
What's fair? It's like love, you will know it when you see it. For me, if tax increases reach everyone (individuals AND corps) in some way, I think I would be happy.
And the rich yes they should pay a fair share. But even if they were taxed at 100%, their contribution would be mere drops of urine in our deficit hurricane.
So lets all wratcht down the blistering retoric and try to bable some workable ideas.
If we don't, in 500 years the Kindles will be full of stories of how a great civilisation could not find an acceptable (not perfect please) financial balance and bankrupted themselves into oblivion. Hey, we will be like the Mesopetamians, Greeks, and Romans. Dead but in the history books.
Posted by: Mergatryd | August 5, 2011 4:01 PM
Another self serving politician, Maryland is consistent with their choices and they know exactly how to play to their supporters. The effects will continue to come to light over the next few years as people continue to leave Maryland for safer harbors.
Posted by: DHarri | August 5, 2011 4:11 PM
I hope you next stand in the unemployment linefroncw iinnglno
Posted by: george | August 5, 2011 5:47 PM
If we are lucky, Ben will be "standing with them" in the unemployment line after the next election.
It's unfortunate that most old school politicians (both parties) know no other way than to continually spend money that this country doesn't have and pander to people's fear when someone suggests reducing the size of the government.
Posted by: Mike | August 5, 2011 5:54 PM
Ben Cardin never worked in the private sector. Never made a payroll. He has been on the government dole his entire life. Son of a judge, born into a politically connected family. He has led a privileged life and continues to advance the liberal clause. Only in this socialist state could he get away with his pitiful statist positions. Yeah, I guess you know you are bullet proof here in Maryland, but you are also despised by oh so many patriots.
Posted by: Steve | August 5, 2011 7:53 PM