3.2% Federal Pay Raise Bill Introduced in Senate

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) formally introduced the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act, which would provide federal workers with a 2.2 percent across-the-board pay increase next year, along with an average 1 percent increase in locality pay. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) introduced companion legislation in the House in January.

Sen. Schatz explained, “Federal workers play a critical role in our everyday lives—caring for our veterans, fighting the pandemic through medical research and cutting our Social Security checks. These hardworking public servants deserve a raise. Our bill gives federal employees a 3.2% pay increase to help make up for the paychecks they've lost because of furloughs and pay freezes over the past few years.”

Federal employee unions strongly support the bill, as they did with Rep. Connolly’s companion measure in January. National Federation of Federal Employees National President Randy Erwin explained, “Federal employees have endured much over the last few years, from paltry annual pay increases to additional financial challenges because of the COVID pandemic. Federal families are hurting just as much as the rest of America, and when a million or more federal workers do not get a pay increase to offset rising costs, communities all over the country feel it too.”

Ken Thomas, President of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) Association said of the bill, “This bill would provide much-needed relief for the millions of retirees and survivors currently affected by this inequitable practice and will improve fairness for future retirees. Public servants already receive lower wages, on average, than those is the private sector. Government annuitants and their families are penalized yet again for their sacrifice through Social Security benefit reductions imposed by WEP and GPO, which disproportionately affect lower-earning households and widows. These individuals are unduly punished simply because they worked in the public sector on behalf of their country.”