House Passes Ryan Budget

The House has passed the budget proposal put forth by House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI).

The House has passed the budget put forth by House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) in a vote mostly along party lines.

The House voted 219-205 to pass the budget.

“What this budget comes down to is a matter of trust,” said Ryan. “Who knows better: the people or Washington? We have made our choice with this budget.”

The budget proposal would require federal employees, including members of Congress, to contribute more to their retirement programs, although no specific amount was specified.

The budget also proposes reducing the size of the federal workforce through attrition. For more details on the budget proposal, see Ryan Budget Calls for Hike in Federal Employee Retirement Contributions.

Federal employee advocacy groups have been outspoken against the budget since it was proposed. Joseph A. Beaduoin, president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, called it a pay cut for federal workers, saying, “Chairman Ryan’s budget sends a clear message – federal employees, and the work they perform, aren’t valued. This is nothing more than a poorly disguised pay cut. If enacted, the budget’s policies would further erode employee morale and hinder recruitment and retention.”

The budget is not expected to advance further as the Senate has no plans to pass a budget plan.

About the Author

Ian Smith is one of the co-founders of FedSmith.com. He has over 20 years of combined experience in media and government services, having worked at two government contracting firms and an online news and web development company prior to his current role at FedSmith.