Republicans Target 1,500 House Staffers

House Republicans announced plans Thursday to terminate 1,500 administrative employees, deny them severance pay and consolidate several non-legislative offices.

Most of the proposed changes still need to be ratified by the House Republican Conference, but Democrats complained that they had not been consulted about the personnel policies. Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland, the Democratic transition leader, also took issue with GOP proposals for changes in committee sizes and party composition.

Rep. Jim Nussle of Iowa, the Republican transition team leader, said the 1,500 employees would be notified of their termination by Jan. 4 but could reapply and possibly win back their jobs. The process allows Republicans to decide who fills administrative jobs and whether to eliminate some of those positions. The affected employees work for the clerk, doorkeeper, sergeant at arms and other non-legislative House officers.

Nussle said House Republicans do not plan to pay permanently terminated employees severance pay because the House has never done so and the federal deficit is too high. He also announced that House employees who lose their jobs will not receive lump-sum payments for accrued vacation time.

Armed with management flowcharts, Nussle announced Republican plans to restructure administrative offices to improve upon recent “weak reforms” and create the “GOP’s open House.”

One change would abolish the doorkeeper’s office and transfer most of its functions to the sergeant-at-arms office. The doorkeeper oversees cloakrooms, entrances to the House floor, pages and support offices, such as the barbershop. The sergeant at arms is the chief security officer.