Press Releases

U.S. Representative Don Beyer today will vote against H.R. 1563, the Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act, to prevent Congress from firing federal employees with unpaid tax obligations.

 

“We must hold our civil servants to the highest standards. They have just as much an obligation as anyone else to responsibly pay their taxes on time and in full.  But this legislation exaggerates the issue and then scapegoats the federal workforce,” said Rep. Beyer.  

 

In 2014 the tax delinquency rate for federal employees was at 3.12 percent, compared to 8.7 percent for the general public.  

 

“There are already procedures like wage garnishment in place to collect back taxes from the very few federal employees who are delinquent. Cutting off their income would not only make it less likely that the federal government will be able to collect the money they owe, but also punish a workforce already dealing with the consequences of wage stagnation and sequester,” Beyer added.