1.9 Percent Pay Raise Provision Overthrows Trump’s Pay Freeze Proposal in 2019

The Senate panel, on June 21, 2018 advanced an appropriation bill suggesting a 1.9 Federal pay raise on all federal civilian employees in 2019. This was contrary to the previous request by the white house for a pay freeze. This provision on the Financial Services and General Government appropriations was without opposition endorsed by the subcommittees. Other than the pay increase, the provision entails an expenditure increase for the Office of the National Drug Control Policy and other agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, to mention a few.

“It would be excellent if the bill did not leave behind the pay amendment for the civilian workers,” suggested Senator Chris Coons, an affiliate of the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee. In the fiscal 2019 budget proposed by President Trump, a pay freeze is proposed for federal civil workers in 2019. However, a vote by the Senate discourages the idea.

The House Appropriations Committee, on the other hand, in its version of the general government spending bill did not take account of any stipulations on the adjustment of the federal civil employee pay. This is seen to be in full support of the President’s proposal that has continued to create unrest among civil employees.

The House and Senate committees are also in opposition of President Trump’s administration’s proposal about the $1 billion interagency work fund. The committees have pointed it out as a way of funding pilot programs raised by leaders at the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget.

The forwarded bill suggesting a 1.9 percent pay increase affects the White House’s military workers pay proposal which was expected to go up to 2.6 percent but will now remain at 2.4 percent through to the next year.

“The pay increase provision was a great report for all individuals out there who work hard to secure the nation, protect public health and guard the welfare of the economy,” remarked Tony Reardon, head of the National Treasury Employees Union. He went on to further appreciate the Congress on its excellent job in recognizing the private workers’ sector and was quick to remark that the federal staff deserves a pay increase.

“The workers deserve the pay raise, the approval of the pay raise bill is a fantastic way of preventing the implementation of Trump’s pay freeze proposal in 2019,” commented Richard Thissen, head of the National Active and retired federal employees. He further opined that a pay freeze would be an indication of lack of appreciation and recognition of public services and public service employees.

Some Congress members had earlier in the year advanced a bill that suggested a 3 percent pay increase across-the-board for all civilian federal workers. The subcommittee hearing involved all national employee groups, and all of them endorsed the pay raise bill. A bill on equal pay increase for military and civilian workers had also been proposed the year before, but Congress members failed in endorsing it.