(Washington, D.C.) - Earlier this week Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), along with U.S. Term Limits and the National Taxpayers Union, sent a letter to House Appropriations Chairman Bill Young asking for an apology for a comment made by a spokesman for the committee that compared U.S. military personnel to Appropriations Committee staffers.  The text of the letter follows:

April 23, 2002

Dear Chairman Young:

On April 3, 2002, the Hill newspaper published a story on salary issues for civilian employees.  In that story, the communications director for the House Appropriations Committee, John Scofield, was quoted as follows:

“Congressional staff who are crafting legislation, whether it is a defense supplemental or a crime bill, are just as important as someone who is serving on the front line.”

Chairman Young, we believe this comment is more than inappropriate.  It is grossly offensive, especially to our military men and women — some of whom are dying in Afghanistan and around the globe — and to their families.  To blithely equate the job of crafting legislation in Congress with that of a soldier in harm’s way demonstrates a breathtaking sense of arrogance and a complete loss of perspective.  It is hard to imagine any context in which such a comment could pass muster.

While spokespersons on Capitol Hill are supposed to officially represent a committee’s leadership, we assume these comments must be in error and do not reflect your views.  Therefore, we respectfully request a public apology to our military, their families, and to taxpayers in general, for these remarks.

Sincerely,

Thomas Schatz, President Stacie Rumenap, Executive Director   

Citizens Against Government Waste    U.S. Term Limits

John Berthoud, President

National Taxpayers Union &

National Taxpayers Union Foundation

Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.