Federal civilian employees would be subject to a non-consecutive, 2-week furlough in 2011, and members of Congress would have their pay cut by 10 percent, under H.R. 6134, a bill recently introduced by Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colorado). The 1-year measure would save taxpayers more than $5.5 billion, he said.
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Coffman added, “Furlough Fridays are becoming a common occurrence for state and local governments. They present slight problems but they provide large solutions to the budget troubles we face.” Managed appropriately, and with exceptions provided for national security or reasons related to public health and safety, he said furloughs would be a viable solution for the federal government, too.