Home Media Center News Releases

Washington, D.C.-The latest casualty in the ongoing federal budget debate is the Treasury-Postal Service appropriations bill, which drew a presidential veto in the ongoing dispute between the White House and Congress over spending and tax issues. Further complicating an overall budget agreement is Republican opposition to an initiative to address repetitive-stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, in the workplace.

"I remain confident that funding for the IRS, the Customs Service and other Treasury Department agencies was not at issue in the president's veto. When the dust settles, there will be an extension of child care tuition assistance for federal workers, and there will be a federal pay raise of at least 3.7 percent. With that said, I share the concern of all NTEU members, federal employees and the American taxpaying public with the inability of this Congress to complete its work in a responsible and timely manner," said NTEU National President Colleen M. Kelley.

One month into the federal government's new fiscal year, reports of an imminent budget deal yesterday were short-lived as word spread that House Republican leaders shot down an agreement between Republican budget negotiators and the White House. The Washington Post reported that Republican budget negotiators were "stunned and angered" by the House

Republican leadership's decision. In the wake of the failure of the budget agreement, President Clinton reportedly vetoed a package that included the Treasury-Postal Service bill and legislative branch spending because of proposals unrelated to the funding for agencies within the bill.

"If the media accounts are correct, if the Republican House leadership pulled the rug out from under the budget negotiators they appointed in hopes of achieving what they see as a political advantage just days before the election, they have done a great disservice to their colleagues, federal employees and the American public. With the new fiscal year already one month old, the more responsible road to travel is to finish work on the budget and bring the 106th Congress to an end," said Kelley.

In addition to essential funding for the IRS, Customs and other agencies, the Treasury-Postal Service funding bill includes an extension of a pilot program to permit agencies to use their appropriated funds to provide child care tuition assistance to federal workers. The measure also includes a provision to eliminate a .5 percent federal employee retirement contribution. A similar provision eliminating the retirement contribution, which was first enacted in 1997 as a deficit reduction measure, was included in the Transportation appropriations bill which President Clinton has signed into law, and is on track to take effect despite the veto of the Treasury appropriations bill.