Trump Freezes Pay Rates for Federal Workers
President Trump on Friday issued an executive order which freezes federal workers’ pay rates for 2019.
Federal employees, already frustrated with Trump over the shutdown, had been expected an increase of 2.1% in January.
“We must maintain efforts to put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course, and Federal agency budgets cannot sustain such increases,” wrote Trump in August. “In light of our Nation’s fiscal situation, Federal employee pay must be performance-based, and aligned strategically toward recruiting, retaining, and rewarding high-performing Federal employees and those with critical skill sets.”
Trump’s executive order, which affects about 2.1 million Americans, also cancels an annual paycheck adjustment based on location. The freeze does not affect a 2.6% pay increase for the military, which Trump agreed to when he signed a defense spending bill in August.
Despite a 1.4% increase last year, federal workers make on average 5% less than they did in 2008.
“President Trump’s plan to freeze wages for these patriotic workers next year ignores the fact that they are worse off today financially than they were at the start of the decade,” argues J. David Cox, who leads one of many unions representing federal employees.
In all likelihood, House lawmakers will approve a Senate bill including a 1.9% pay increase for federal workers after Democrats take control of the chamber on January 3rd.
In the meantime, over 400,000 federal employees are working without pay and another 380,000 were sent home for the holidays without a job. Congress typically votes to pay federal workers retroactively after shutdowns, but this one is expected to linger on into the new year as Congress struggles with Trump’s demands for border wall funding.
Editor’s note: Not saying they do or don’t deserve a raise, but I have thankful that at least Trump is looking at budgets and how he might cut the deficit.
Federal employees earn more than the average American, have a vastly superior pension, and enjoy health insurance that is far better than the ordinary citizen.
What’s more, these bureaucrats’ benefits are all paid for by the American taxpayer.
Worst of all, when was the last time anyone heard of a Federal Employee being fired?
Even at 5% less than what they made in 2008, these lazy, inefficient. slovenly drones have it far better than the people they purportedly “serve”.
PJ, your comments are absolutely on the mark. I applaud you for posting !
I could not have said it better. Thank you.
Seems to me that President Trump asked all agencies for a 5% cut in their funding. Have they made any progress on that. If they aren’t willing to work with him on cost containment, he has no choice but to make cuts wherever possible.
Get with the problem yoyos.
Time to Pay the “FIDDLER”, as my Dad told me, it’s TIME AMERICA, got its BIG BOY , pants on!. God Bless America, President Trump.
Good he’s right!
If federal jobs are affected by the shutdown then it should be ALL federal employees including the White House!!! Congress should feel the squeeze too!!!
All Federal Jobs!!!! Don’t just pick and choose!!! I agree we need the wall, having a hard time understanding why it’s such an issue.
Casper Green, FYIi, President Trump does not receive salaries, therefore, one cannot freeze his pay.Your other allegations make no sense at all.
About 80% of all federal jobs and bureaucratic federal agencies could be eliminated. States should be the ones to decide what social services and taxpayer supported agencies, if any, should even exist. After Abe Lincoln’s unconstitutional military coup and rape of the South, the federal government has become a “top-down” totalitarian dictatorship which replaced the “bottom-up” system of state & local self-government our founders gave us. The U.S. Constitution is now a “dead letter”. Lincoln set up the framework for the socialist, redistribution of wealth which is the hallmark of Marxism. Ask yourself, “What do communists support that Democrats don’t?”
There has been so much uproar over this particular government shutdown that it is unbelievable. Where was all this outrage when Schumer shut it down in February over DACA? Or when Obama shut it down to force ObamaCare down our throats? At least what this one is for is something relevant to the entire country. Border security (and a wall has to be the first start) is extremely necessary……especially since there are more caravans in the making headed this way. Also, there is this big protest over the raise freeze on federal workers. I’m a retired fed employee of 34 yrs. and went thru 2 shutdowns. Not to mention Obama’s raise freeze in 2011, 2012 & 2013. Where was all the protests and outrage then?….oh, that’s right the Great Obama did it and therefore it had to be right!!!
I agree with Gallagher. ALL federal employees should receive NO PAY so long as the government is shut down – and that includes the president and all members of congress and their staffs. This would make the congress and president think twice before shutting the government down. If certain employees receive no pay then no government employ should receive pay. Last time I heard, the president and congress plus their staffs are government employees. As for the stupid wall, that is a fourth century tactic. As for Trump, well, he is an embarrassment to our great country. He has chased off all of our long time friendly nations while alienating us from the world. He seems to think the US is a nation unto itself and needs no one else. That’s grade school thinking. I hope congress does its job and impeaches him; we’ve never had a president that deserves impeachment more. At least Bill Clinton knew how to run the country, Trump has no idea.
Why did present trump not freeze congresses pay raise. Why is congress still getting automatic pay raises I thought trump had guts. I guess not. Tell him to freeze congress pay raises also we the people have no respect for the swamp congress both houses I do agree that he needs to freeze govt employees pay raises they make more then the ordinary worker congress does not need a pay raise. Maybe they will respect trump more if he shuts them out right now they both dems and republicans want him out trump get smart
NOB LE: The “unconstitutional coup” and war against the South only freed a few million people working under horrendous conditions for free. Lincoln got it right. For your information, we call it slavery. Has no place in a democracy which the South was not.