It’s starting...

Well, some of the recommendations contained in the president’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform report are coming home to roost.

Texas congressman Kevin Brady (R), this week introduced a bill that, among many other things, would freeze civilian employee pay for three years and trim the federal workforce by 10 percent over the next decade.

The bill also revives the “tax delinquent feds” issue that emerges every so often. “While millions of Americans continue to send back portions of their hard earned wages to Washington, many federal employees are failing to contribute their share,” says a backgrounder on the bill released by Brady. “This amendment simply requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to collect any unpaid taxes from federal employees …”

Brady claims H.R. 235, which bends over backward to arrive at the acronym CUTS (Cut Unsustainable and Top-Heavy Spending), would reduce federal spending by an estimated $153 billion.

Of course the bill does not just target feds. The legislation would make cuts all across the federal government, and proposes eliminating or reducing funding for slew of government programs.

But take heart. Lots of bills are introduced and only a small proportion are passed. Those that do survive (especially those with lots of provisions) often undergo major tinkering along the way.

A word of advice, though: Get used to it.