Ander Crenshaw Fights to Take Federal Work Force Level Back to 2008

On late Friday, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, a deputy whip in the Republican congressional leadership, weighed in on a vote earlier in the week to reduce the number of federal employeesto what it was in 2009.

The out-of-control policies put forth by President Obama and Speaker Pelosi have caused the size and the reach of our government to explode, said Crenshaw. who has represented the First Coast in Congress since 2000. While the private sector has lost millions of jobs, the federal civilian work force has grown by approximately 188,000 new employees, or about 15 percent.

This plan would require the government to hire only one new worker for every two who leave service, except for the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs, added Crenshaw. The work force reduction plan is not a rigid hiring freeze, but would allow the government to continue bringing in new workers while cutting significant costs.

Ive heard from the folks in Northeast Florida, and theyve sounded a desperate call forWashington to change its spend, spend, spend mentality to one of saving, added Crenshaw, who faces a challenge in November from Troy Stanley who is running without party affiliation.