House Republicans agree to give feds pay raise
The Trump administration had proposed a pay freeze on federal civilian wages in fiscal year 2019, but after the Senate passed a bill including a 1.9 percent raise for feds, House appropriators have followed suit.
House appropriators have agreed to follow their Senate counterparts and give federal employees a 1.9 percent raise in fiscal year 2019, bucking the Trump administration's pay freeze proposal.
A spokesperson for Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.), who chairs the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, confirmed to FCW House appropriators' agreement to the 1.9 percent figure. The National Defense Authorization Act, passed in August, included a 2.6 percent bump for military personnel.
Senators cleared the 1.9 percent pay raise for next year by a 96 to 2 margin. In September, House members from both sides of the aisle urged Trump to reconsider the proposed pay freeze.
Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), who represents a fed-heavy district and is facing a tough reelection, was one of the House Republicans against the pay freeze. In a statement, she said she was "pleased that an agreement has been reached to provide our federal employees with the raises they have earned and deserve."
"This is an important complement to our providing the largest pay raise to our military in almost a decade and it is a strong sign of our respect and support for the essential work done by our federal employees," she said.
While members have agreed to the raise, they still have to actually pass the bill. The House is in recess until after the midterm elections and will then have to pass the bill, which Trump will then have to sign, before the continuing resolution expires Dec. 7.
National Treasury Employees Union President Tony Reardon called the agreement "encouraging," but he noted that until it is signed by the president, "it is not something to celebrate just yet."