President Trump has reiterated his intention for federal employees to receive no pay raise in January, except for law enforcement personnel who would receive 3.8 percent.
A letter to Congress takes those positions as an “alternative” to increases that would occur automatically under federal pay law if Congress takes no position on a raise by the end of the calendar year. The letter is a routine step needed under that law if Congress has been silent through the end of August.
A specific figure or figures enacted by year’s end would override the “alternative” raise. However, there has been no indication of intent by Congress to do other than allow the president’s position to take effect by default, which has been the case in many prior years.
“Without this alternative pay plan, under current law, beginning in January 2027, locality pay for the civilian workforce would automatically increase by an average of 20.6 percent, costing $26 billion in the first year alone. This change would go into effect in January 2027 along with an additional 3.1 percent across-the-board increase for the base General Schedule,” the letter says.
“Such a large raise for Federal employees while most Americans still struggle with the consequences of the Biden Administration’s giant inflation spree is unacceptable and would be unfair,” it says, passing blame to the former administration for inflation that surged and then moderated, only to rise again more recently, in large part due to increasing...
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