Schumer Vows to Keep Up the Fight On Behalf of Hundreds of Top-Notch Workers at the Highly Efficient DFAS Site in Rome

Press Release

Today, at Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) in Rome, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer vowed to keep up his fight on behalf of the over 950 employees at the highly-efficient and cost-effective facility. In light of the concerns that the Army is studying ways to streamline certain nationwide DFAS services, Schumer said that he has been assured there are no plans to close DFAS due to a pilot program elsewhere. In fact, the pilot study at Ft. Bragg, which many believed would start on April 1st, and that Schumer weighed in against, has been postponed.

Regardless of the future status of that pilot, Schumer said that he has been assured by Army Secretary John McHugh and Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) Bob Hale, which has jurisdiction over financial management of the Department of Defense and therefore DFAS, that the Rome site will not close as a result. Schumer explained that in light of a shrinking budget and potential return of sequester in 2016, keeping DFAS' operations strong will always be a concern, but that he will make clear to all federal decision-makers that the Rome site and its workers are highly efficient and valuable and must be kept whole.

"DFAS in Rome is one of the Army's most efficient and cost-effective sites, a point which I will make over and over again to the Army and the Comptroller's office at the Department of Defense. As the Army transitions to a smaller force and faces a tightening budget, DFAS in Rome should be an example of the type of facility that the Army builds its new foundation around," said Schumer. "So I will fight tooth-and-nail to maintain a high workload and a high level of staff at DFAS, because DFAS is one of the Army's best civilian assets. No doubt there will be battles to fight along the way, but I will continue to make it crystal clear to top Army brass that DFAS is the type of cost-effective operation that should play an integral role in the Army's future."

Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Rome employs over 950 local workers in the Rome and Utica area, doing work for the Army, including Fort Bragg. Recently, local concern has risen over draft Army reports that suggest DFAS in Rome could be considered as part of an Army consolidation. A "pilot' study in which returning soldiers would perform some accounting work at Fort Bragg was a major driver of that concern. Schumer announced that the pilot study would not start on April 1st, as reported, and instead would be delayed for a later date. Moreover, Schumer explained that Comptroller Hale told him that this pilot study would absolutely not close DFAS in Rome.

Schumer, before a tour of the facility, said that he has spoken with both Army Secretary McHugh and Comptroller Hale, who have jurisdiction and ultimate authority over DFAS and its workload. Comptroller Hale, in two personal phone calls, confirmed to Schumer that DFAS is a part of the Army's long-term plans, that he is impressed with the work being done at DFAS, and any potential reductions in workload would be minimal. Schumer said that, even with these reassurances, he would be watching the Army and Department of Defense like a hawk to make sure that they held their word. Further, Schumer vowed to continue to fight on behalf of DFAS, saying that cost-effective operations like DFAS Rome should be maintained even as the Army returns soldiers and strives to operate under a more constrained budget.

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