Memorandum Returning Without Approval a Bill for the Relief of Marsha D. Christopher

I am withholding my approval of H.R. 723, a private bill for the relief of Marsha D. Christopher, a Postal Service worker. I sympathize with Mrs. Christopher. The on-the-job injury to her resulting from an attack by a dog was severe, but I believe that enactment of this bill would set an undesirable and potentially costly precedent and would discriminate unfairly against the thousands of other postal workers and Federal employees who also incur job-related injuries.

Mrs. Christopher has received the benefits allowed to Federal workers injured on the job as provided by the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA). The bill would waive the subrogation provisions of FECA, thus enabling Mrs. Christopher to receive and retain FECA benefits in addition to money recovered by her as the result of her private settlement with the owner of the dog. This would undermine the primary purpose of the subrogation provisions of the Act, which is to place the cost of compensation on the person or persons responsible for the injury and to relieve the taxpaying public of this expense.

RONALD REAGAN

The White House,

October 30, 1984.