FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cory Bythrow, Communications Director
Phone: (202) 216-4458
Washington, D.C. – In response to a House vote last night freezing federal pay for an additional year, National Federation of Federal Employees National President William R. Dougan issued the following statement:
“We are disappointed to see the result of Wednesday’s vote. Extending the federal pay freeze by an additional year would cost federal workers and their families tens of thousands of dollars over the course of their careers, on top of tens of thousands more in forgone income resulting from the current two-year freeze. This is a damaging development for the two million middle class federal workers struggling to get by in this economy just like anyone else. A third year of frozen pay for a federal firefighter making $36,000 a year could mean the difference between making the housing payment and going into foreclosure. For a VA nurse making $42,000 a year it could mean the difference between sending her kids to college, and delaying their dreams another year. Extending the federal pay freeze would have a deep and lasting impact on the lives of millions of public servants across America – a reality our leaders in Washington must never forget.
Worse yet was the way this bill was packaged – requiring lawmakers to vote on both a federal worker and congressional pay freeze at the same time. If Congress was serious about helping the middle class, they would freeze their own paychecks without dipping into the pockets of food and safety inspectors, border patrol agents, and VA nurses at the same time. Federal workers are sick and tired of politicians trying to score cheap political points off their backs. They come to work every day to serve their fellow Americans, and they do it with pride and distinction. Yesterday, Congress failed them.
Nonetheless, we take consolation in knowing that many of the votes in support of this bill had nothing to do with supporting further pay freezes for federal workers. This vote was about election year politics, plain and simple.”