October 30, 1984
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.