January 22, 2021 (Washington, D.C.) – Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who is expected to serve as the next Chair of Congress’ Joint Economic Committee and represents the largest number of federal workers of any U.S. Representative, issued the following statement today on President Biden’s executive actions on the economy and the federal workforce:

“President Biden’s orders to help the economy and support the federal workforce will do so much good for the country, and for Northern Virginia.

“Restoring collective bargaining protections and working to boost wages for the lowest income federal employees are beneficial changes that will go a long way to restoring fair treatment and boosting morale in a workforce that has been a punching bag for four years. I am particularly happy to see the end of Schedule F, an executive order intended to politicize the civil service that could have done a great deal of harm.

“My colleagues and I spent the past four years fighting against attacks on the federal workforce, and it is deeply gratifying to finally have an administration that values civil servants and clearly takes their interests – and the national interest they serve – to heart.”

“Shielding workers from having to choose between unemployment benefits and unsafe working conditions is a long overdue step that is just the right thing to do. Boosting nutrition programs to feed the hungry and pushing the federal government to accelerate equitable distribution of direct payments will provide the swift relief that people hit hardest by this pandemic desperately need.

“It is important to remember that American families and the U.S. economy need significantly more from Congress to weather this crisis, which underscores the need for fast action on the President’s American Rescue Plan.”