Trump is stopping some pay raises for federal workers

[Swordsmyth]

Text of a Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate
Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
I am transmitting an alternative plan for pay adjustments for civilian Federal employees covered by the General Schedule and certain other pay systems in January 2020.
Title 5, United States Code, authorizes me to implement alternative plans for pay adjustments for civilian Federal employees covered by the General Schedule and certain other pay systems if, because of “national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare,” I view the increases that would otherwise take effect as inappropriate.
Under current law, locality pay increases averaging 24.01 percent, costing $24 billion in the first year alone, would go into effect in January 2020, in addition to a 2.6 percent across-the-board increase for the base General Schedule.
We must maintain efforts to put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course; Federal agency budgets cannot sustain such massive increases in locality pay. Accordingly, I have determined that it is appropriate to exercise my authority to set alternative locality pay adjustments for 2020 pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5304a.
Specifically, I have determined that for 2020 — while across-the-board base pay will increase by 2.6 percent, as prescribed under 5 U.S.C. 5303(a) — the locality pay percentages shown in Schedule 9 of Executive Order 13866 of March 28, 2019, will remain at their 2019 levels. This alternative pay plan decision will not materially affect our ability to attract and retain a well‑qualified Federal workforce.
As noted in my Budget for Fiscal Year 2020, our pay system must reform to align with mission-critical recruitment and retention goals, and to reward employees whose performance provides value for the American people. My Administration will continue to support reforms that advance these aims.
The adjustment described above shall take effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2020.
Sincerely,

DONALD J. TRUMP

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/text-letter-speaker-house-representatives-president-senate-12/

[Zippyjuan]

Flip- Flopper in Chief at it again.

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/pay/2019/08/trump-reverses-course-announces-federal-pay-raise-for-2020/


Trump reverses course, announces federal pay raise for 2020

In a surprising reversal, President Donald Trump has announced his plans to implement a federal pay raise — rather than a pay freeze —for civilian employees in 2020.

Under Trump’s proposed pay plan, civilian federal employees would get an across-the-board pay raise of 2.6% next year. Locality pay rates, however, will remain frozen at 2019 levels.

“I have determined that for 2020 — while across-the-board base pay will increase by 2.6% — the locality pay percentages shown in Schedule 9 of Executive Order 13866 of March 28, 2019, will remain at their 2019 levels,” Trump wrote in an Aug. 30 letter to congressional leadership. “This alternative pay plan decision will not materially affect our ability to attract and retain a well‑qualified federal workforce.”




“As noted in my budget for fiscal year 2020, our pay system must reform to align with mission-critical recruitment and retention goals, and to reward employees whose performance provides value for the American people,” Trump wrote. “My administration will continue to support reforms that advance these aims.”

The pay raise would become effective Jan. 1.

“NTEU appreciates the president backing away from his proposed pay freeze for federal employees in 2020,” Tony Reardon, the president of the National Treasury Employees Union said in a statement Friday evening. “A pay freeze was simply uncalled for given the pay gap between federal employees and those in the private sector along with all the challenges federal employees have faced, including the longest partial government shutdown in our nation’s history.”

Members of the military are on track to receive a 3.1% pay raise next year, as recommended by the White House and both the House and Senate in their respective versions of the annual defense authorization bill.

More at link.

[r3volution 3.0]

We must maintain efforts to put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course.

DONALD J. TRUMP

https://media.giphy.com/media/lszAB3TzFtRaU/giphy.gif

Might want to redouble those efforts...

...a good place to start would be, you know, not constantly increasing spending.

(Cuts in the proposed rate of increase are still increases, FYI)

[tod evans]

Gimmie those purse strings and I'll show you how to fix the budget.

[juleswin]

The deep state must have threatened to impeach him. Sad that he can barely do anything good with the deep state always threatening him. But be rest assured, give him a second term and he would be able to resist their efforts to thwart his positive agenda for the American people :rolleyes:

[juleswin]

https://media.giphy.com/media/lszAB3TzFtRaU/giphy.gif

Might want to redouble those efforts...

...a good place to start would be, you know, not constantly increasing spending.

(Cuts in the proposed rate of increase are still increases, FYI)

True but at the same time that would be better than what he is doing now i.e. going along with the already proposed pay increase

[TheCount]

The title is an amazing bit of propaganda, considering the massive 2.6% raise involved.

That's the largest raise since 2009.

[r3volution 3.0]

True but at the same time that would be better than what he is doing now i.e. going along with the already proposed pay increase

True, but the Titanic would have sunk just the same had it crashed into the iceberg at 19.999 knots instead of 20. This is the sort of thing that allows him and his supporters to pretend that he's a fiscal conservative, but will accomplish nothing of any significance, except to distract and deflect criticism from all the spending increases that actually do matter. Obama says: "I'ma go through the budget line by line."

[nikcers]

True, but the Titanic would have sunk just the same had it crashed into the iceberg at 19.999 knots instead of 20. This is the sort of thing that allows him and his supporters to pretend that he's a fiscal conservative, but will accomplish nothing of any significance, except to distract and deflect criticism from all the spending increases that actually do matter. Obama says: "I'ma go through the budget line by line."

I thought they switched the titanic out for the Oylmpic sister ship that had fire damage so the titanic didnt sink it was the Olympic that sunk.