Coburn Plans Federal Hiring and Wage Freeze

The hatred of Washington isn't confined to members of the House and Senate and President Obama and his top staff. Polls find that a majority of the public also isn't appreciative of the performance and pay of the federal workforce. After the elections, look for Republicans to jump on that mood. Leading the fight will be Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn. The Republican doesn't think badly of federal workers; he just thinks there are too many. So he's readying legislation to freeze hiring and wages. "The fact is the federal workforce has expanded while the private job market has contracted," says a spokesman. "The long-term job market would be a lot healthier with a smaller federal government and tax burden. People like Steve Jobs, not [Homeland Secretary] Janet Napolitano, are going to drive the recovery."

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