WASHINGTON Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Joe Barton R-Ennis/Arlington sent letters Wednesday to nine agencies asking for details on the explosive increase in the number of federal employees earning $100000 or more annually.
The agencies include the Department of Health and Human Services; Department of Energy; Department of Treasury; Department of Commerce; Consumer Product Safety Commission; Environmental Protection Agency; Federal Communications Commission; Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and the Federal Trade Commission.
In one case in 2007 a large agency had only one person making $170000 annually. Two years later that same agency reported nearly 1700 employees earning $170000 annually.
According to USA Today the growth in six-figure salaries has pushed the average federal workers pay to $71206 compared with $40331 in the private sector. In addition The Washington Examiner noted that federal employees making salaries of $100000 or more jumped from 14 to 19 percent during the recessions first 18 months" Barton wrote to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. This disparity between public and private-sector compensation for comparable work leads us to question the basis for these salaries and raises especially during an economic recession when countless Americans have either lost their jobs or must accept sharp reductions in pay to keep their jobs."
Barton also asked the agencies to disclose whether funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was used to augment already-high federal salaries rather than to stimulate the lagging private sector or to fund critical infrastructure projects."
Barton asked the leaders of each agency to respond to the following questions:
1. How many total employees does your agency presently employ?
2. How many new employees did your agency hire in both calendar and fiscal year 2009?
3. How many employees in your agency presently receive compensation inclusive of all bonuses of $100000 or more for the fiscal year?
4. How many employees in your agency presently receive compensation inclusive of all bonuses of $140000 or more for the fiscal year?
5. How many employees in your agency presently receive compensation inclusive of all bonuses of $180000 or more for the fiscal year?
6. What is the average pay of all full-time SES employees in your agency at the conclusion of calendar and fiscal year 2009?
7. Please list every employee (including job title and department or office assignment) who in some capacity is responsible for overseeing or managing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding or has any involvement with the grant process associated with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
8. Has your agency contracted or outsourced any of the duties associated with the handling managing allocation or grant process related to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds?
9. Please list all professional service contracts or purchase orders for professional services with your agency for $100000 or more in any of the past three fiscal or calendar years. Please include the name of the contractor the amount of the contract and the total number of individuals if known included under the contract.
WASHINGTON Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Joe Barton R-Ennis/Arlington sent letters Wednesday to nine agencies asking for details on the explosive increase in the number of federal employees earning $100000 or more annually.
The agencies include the Department of Health and Human Services; Department of Energy; Department of Treasury; Department of Commerce; Consumer Product Safety Commission; Environmental Protection Agency; Federal Communications Commission; Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and the Federal Trade Commission.
In one case in 2007 a large agency had only one person making $170000 annually. Two years later that same agency reported nearly 1700 employees earning $170000 annually.
According to USA Today the growth in six-figure salaries has pushed the average federal workers pay to $71206 compared with $40331 in the private sector. In addition The Washington Examiner noted that federal employees making salaries of $100000 or more jumped from 14 to 19 percent during the recessions first 18 months" Barton wrote to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. This disparity between public and private-sector compensation for comparable work leads us to question the basis for these salaries and raises especially during an economic recession when countless Americans have either lost their jobs or must accept sharp reductions in pay to keep their jobs."
Barton also asked the agencies to disclose whether funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was used to augment already-high federal salaries rather than to stimulate the lagging private sector or to fund critical infrastructure projects."
Barton asked the leaders of each agency to respond to the following questions:
1. How many total employees does your agency presently employ?
2. How many new employees did your agency hire in both calendar and fiscal year 2009?
3. How many employees in your agency presently receive compensation inclusive of all bonuses of $100000 or more for the fiscal year?
4. How many employees in your agency presently receive compensation inclusive of all bonuses of $140000 or more for the fiscal year?
5. How many employees in your agency presently receive compensation inclusive of all bonuses of $180000 or more for the fiscal year?
6. What is the average pay of all full-time SES employees in your agency at the conclusion of calendar and fiscal year 2009?
7. Please list every employee (including job title and department or office assignment) who in some capacity is responsible for overseeing or managing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding or has any involvement with the grant process associated with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
8. Has your agency contracted or outsourced any of the duties associated with the handling managing allocation or grant process related to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds?
9. Please list all professional service contracts or purchase orders for professional services with your agency for $100000 or more in any of the past three fiscal or calendar years. Please include the name of the contractor the amount of the contract and the total number of individuals if known included under the contract.
