Congressional challenger makes personnel reform a campaign issue

Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., and his challenger in this year's election, Democrat James Socas, sat in the banquet hall of a motel in northwestern Virginia Friday and asked a crowd of retired federal employees for their votes.

As the Nov. 2 election approaches, most congressional lawmakers involved in federal workers' issues are expected to win reelection by comfortable margins. In past elections, Wolf has been just as relaxed. In 2002, he won 72 percent of the vote and in 2000, he received 84 percent. According to local observers, however, Wolf is facing one of the most spirited challenges of his 24-year career in Congress.

A former banking executive and congressional staff member, Socas has launched an aggressive campaign across Virginia's 10th Congressional District, which stretches from the Washington suburbs to the West Virginia border. Most notably, the Democratic challenger has made a campaign issue of the personnel reform movement in some federal agencies.

In a region that is saturated with federal workers and federal retirees, the candidates know it's wise to attend forums like the one in Winchester, held by the National Association of Retired Federal Employees. A former staff member on the Senate Banking Committee, Socas told Government Executive that he wants to stop the "hidden agenda" of congressional Republicans who are seeking to "privatize the federal government."

"I think it is clear with what is happening at the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense," Socas said. Congress allowed personnel officials at those two agencies to overhaul their personnel structure, install performance pay systems and reduce collective bargaining power for unions.

Socas also criticized Wolf for opposing an amendment to restructure the competitive sourcing process, a controversial management initiative aimed at allowing contractors to bid on thousands of federal jobs considered to be transferable to the private sector. That amendment, introduced by Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., passed the House last month as part of the fiscal 2005 Transportation, Treasury and Independent Agencies appropriations bill.

In a press release on the amendment, Van Hollen said he does not oppose competitive sourcing, "but we must put a stop to the administration's ideologically driven agenda to benefit private contractors over federal employees and taxpayers."

Socas echoed that accusation last week. He said Wolf is being pulled into the privatization movement by the more extreme members of the Republican party.

"I think it's wrong from a moral standpoint and I think it's wrong from a business standpoint," he said. "The mission of contractors is to make money, the mission of federal government is service. You have people whose loyalty is to their profit margins and not to the public good."

In a brief conversation after the Winchester meeting, Wolf said he was not aware of the personnel overhauls at the Defense and Homeland Security departments. On the issue of outsourcing, he said he believes in "protecting jobs that are inherently governmental."

The focal point of Wolf's campaign, however, is his record and his seniority in Congress. He was also a civil servant, serving in the Interior Department and on Capitol Hill. Wolf pointed out that he has pushed for federal telecommuting and helped establish the first telecommuting center in Winchester. He also made special mention of his fight for higher pay for federal law enforcement officials.

Wolf told the retired federal employees about his support for military-civilian pay parity. In addition, he cited his recent efforts to expand the dental and vision insurance coverage that is available to federal workers.

"What I'm doing this year, as every year, is running on what I've done and how I have done it," Wolf said.

He said pay parity is one of the most important congressional issues to federal workers. Lawmakers have rebuffed recent White House attempts to award larger raises to the military and have instead granted equal raises. In fiscal 2005, federal workers are on track to receive an average raise of 3.5 percent.

"The ultimate decision rests with the Congress, it actually rests with the subcommittee that I serve on," Wolf said. "I think pay parity will always be an issue."

Political experts said it would be an upset if Wolf did not hold on to his seat for a 13th term. Until Nov. 2, however, federal personnel reform is not only being discussed in Washington, but on the campaign trail as well.