On June 27, Govexec.com reported that a provision to promote early retirement in the Defense acquisition workforce was included in the Defense authorization bill passed by the House. The provision was actually stripped from the bill at the behest of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee.
The provision would have reduced the penalty government employees are charged for each year they retire before age 55. Normally workers have their pensions reduced 2 percent for each year. Under the proposal, acquisition personnel would only have had their pensions reduced 1 percent per year.
A provision to include funding for buyouts for members of the DoD procurement workforce was included in the Defense bill.
The measure would attempt to reduce the Defense acquisition workforce by 124,000 people by the end of fiscal year 2001, including a reduction of 40,000 workers next year.
The House passed the authorization bill on a 304-120 vote. The Senate will take up the bill after the July 4 recess.
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