Collins seeks to end workers’ comp for retirement age federal employees

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced a bill on the Senate floor tonight that would force federal employees to begin taking their retirement benefits once they reach retirement age, rather than allow them to receive more lucrative workers’ compensation benefits. Collins said that the Federal Employment Compensation Act (FECA) is meant to pay federal workers who are hurt and can no longer work. But she said the cost of the program last year was $2.78 billion, and nearly half of this went to U.S. Postal Service employees last year.