NARFE Kicks Off a New Year of Advocacy
The prompt for this round of the FEDforum is new year, new. This week, hear from the National Active and Retired Federal Employees.
After a slight delay starting the business of the new Congress, lawmakers have taken the opportunity to settle in and prepare to do what they were elected to do for the American people.
And while our representatives and senators were making headlines, NARFE’s Advocacy Department was already laying the groundwork to represent the interests of all federal civilian employees and annuitants before the 118th Congress.
NARFE’s legislative priorities for 2023-2024 include:
Oppose any cuts to earned federal retirement and health benefits
Support reform or repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO)
Support full COLAs for federal retirees
Strengthen the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Retirement Services Division
Protect enrollees in the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program
Support improved integration of Medicare with the Federal Employees Health Benefits
Support market rate increases to federal pay rates and oppose federal employee compensation cuts
Improve government operations and protect the merit system
Further details about priorities can be found on the NARFE website. While some of NARFE’s priorities are “carry-over” issues, we are confident that we can regain the backing of those members of Congress who supported our issues in the 117th Congress.
House and Senate leaders wasted no time hitting the ground running to advance their legislative agendas, and the same is true of NARFE’s advocacy team. As bills get introduced, the team is leading the charge on advocacy efforts, mobilizing NARFE members and allies. You can provide support for these efforts by writing letters, sending email and making telephone calls.
And we know communicating with the people we elect to represent our interests in Congress works. There are several recent NARFE legislative accomplishments that were only possible through a collaborative effort that included grassroots advocacy activities. Whether it was finally getting a postal reform bill passed – and protecting health benefits in the process – or engaging in grassroots tactics that effectively helped advanced legislation to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), letters, calls and engagement by NARFE members with lawmakers at community events were crucial to advancing these pieces of legislation.
It may not happen overnight, and it may take multiple tactics. But, with hard work, persistence and commitment to the cause, NARFE’s efforts to defend and enhance the benefits for all federal employees and retirees will pay off.
You can help NARFE continue its crucial advocacy on behalf of the earned pay, retirement, and health care benefits of federal employees, retirees, and their spouses and survivors—join NARFE today and add your voice to every message we send to Congress.
The column from the National Active and Retired Federal Employees is part of the FEDforum, an initiative to unite voices across the federal community. The FEDforum is a space for federal employee groups to share their organizations’ initiatives and activities with the FEDmanager audience.
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