Congressman Wants to Cut Civilian Furloughs

DUBLIN, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A U.S. Congressman wants to eliminate furloughs for Department of Defense civilian workers.

Monday, automatic cuts went into effect, resulting in 11 furlough days between now and September 30 for civilian employees, including the ones at Robins Air Force Base.

Rep. John Barrow (D-GA), who represents the 12th district of Georgia, fiiled legislation that would put an end to those civilian furloughs. He says more than 3,200 of those affected employees live in his district alone.

Barrow’s district includes much of the southeastern part of the state.

41NBC caught up with Barrow Friday at his office in Dublin.  He told us there’s no sense in hurting all these people just because Congress can’t get its act together.

“All of this is because the leaders of the two warring tribes in Congress can’t stop fighting enough to come together on the spending cuts we all know we need,” he said.  ” But we need to take them in a more sensible and responsible manner than across the board that treats the most valuable people we have–our human infrastructure–like the least valuable.”

Barrow also introduced a bill to remove furloughs for those who are active duty in the armed forces.  He says handing a soldier furlough papers when he returns home is “no way to treat a hero.”