Following the approval of both the House and Senate last week, President Obama signed into law a continuing resolution to fund the government through the remainder of 2013. The measure prevents a government shutdown, but also includes a provision freezing federal pay through the remainder of the year.
The new law brings the pay freeze into its third consecutive year, meaning federal workers have received no cost of living adjustment since 2010. Though it comes as no surprise the many that elected officials have turned their backs on federal workers once again, it was no supposed to be this way.
Last year President Obama issued an Executive Order mandating that federal workers receive a 0.5% cost of living increase in 2013. In their continuing resolution, Congress intentionally trumped that EO in order erase the modest increase. Had Congress ignored federal pay in their budget, federal workers would have received the small bump automatically.
“The lengths some in Congress will go to in order to hurt federal workers is astounding,” said NFFE Legislative Director Randy Erwin. “Federal employees have suffered painful cuts to pay and benefits for more than two years. Now Congress has gone out of its way to do even more damage. I am disgusted with the decisions being made in Washington right now.”
President Obama earlier this year announced that he intends to include a one percent pay boost in his FY 2014 budget proposal, which is anticipated for release in early April.