New House Rules Allows Congress to Cut Federal Workforce

The House of Representatives adopted rules late Tuesday that will allow Congress to reduce the federal workforce and cut employee pay easier.

The rules include a provision allowing such changes in an amendment to an appropriations bill under consideration by the House, The Daily Caller reports.

The change revives the "Holman Rule" that Congress eliminated in 1983 and only covers employees at agencies included in a specific spending bill.

The rule would only be in effect for 2017 unless Congress enacts it again next year, according to the report. It was approved by a 234-193 vote along party lines by House members.

According to the Daily Caller, 2.1 million federal employees are paid an average total compensation of $123,160.

In 2016, American taxpayers spent $267 billion on salaries and benefits for all federal workers, excluding those of the U.S. Postal Service, and federal employee unions demanded a 5.3 percent pay raise.

By comparison, the average compensation for a private-sector employee is $69,901, the Daily Caller reports.

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