Statement of Administration Policy: S. 2216 - Federal Holiday on Constitution Day, September 17, 1987

(House)
(Stevens (R) AK and four others)

The Administration opposes S. 2216 because it makes Constitution Day in 1987 a paid Federal holiday, rather than a Day of Recognition. In a time of massive Federal deficits, it would be unwise to grant another paid holiday to Federal employees, (who already get 10 paid holidays a year) at a cost to the Government of $332 million. It is not possible to estimate precisely the total cost to the Nation of a holiday that could also affect State, local and private sector employees, but a rough estimate is that for each 10% of the nonfarm private sector workforce that is given the day off and does not make up the time lost, the cost is over a billion dollars.