Maloney Announces Furloughs Cut Almost in Half for Hudson Valley Families

Newburgh – Representative Sean Patrick Maloney announced today that Department of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has reduced civilian defense employee furloughs from 11 days to 6 days. Across the country, approximately 640,000 civilian employees are entering their fifth week of furloughs due to the damaging budget cuts from last Congress known as “sequestration”, including employees at the United States Military Academy at West Point and at the New York Air National Guard's 105th Airlift Wing at Stewart Air National Guard Base.

“Our hardworking neighbors, families, and small businesses in the Hudson Valley should not be penalized because the last Congress could not do its job and pass a budget. When I worked in the Clinton White House we balanced the budget, while growing the economy and creating jobs,” said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney. “While this is a step in the right direction, Congress needs to stop the partisan fighting and pass a balanced, long term budget solution that puts an end to sequestration and puts Hudson Valley families back to work.”

On May 14, Defense Secretary Hagel announced civilian employees would be furloughed 11 days due to the sequester. Rep. Maloney immediately sent a bipartisan letter denouncing the 11 day furlough plan and urging Defense Secretary Hagel to reconsider.         

Rep. Maloney previously sent a letter to President Obama and Secretary Hagel after voting to give the Pentagon more flexibility on sequestration cuts. After visiting with employees from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Rep. Maloney spoke on the House Floor to condemn congressional inaction and call for a balanced compromise.