Should Congressional Pay Raise Action Impact Your 2006 Raise?

Should Congress forego a pay raise this year? If that happens, should the pay raise for federal employees be impacted as well in order to cut government spending?

Federal spending is going higher and the increases are not sustainable. As a result, Congress is looking at ways to cut government spending.

A number of options are being considered. Defense contractors are bracing for a significant cut in the growth of defense spending. Spending on programs administered by many agencies is likely to be curtailed.

As reported earlier, a committee is looking at a variety of ways to cut federal spending. Some of these options would directly impact federal employees; other options would indirectly impact the entire workforce as spending is reduced in agencies across government. (See Federal Pay and Benefits: Tough Choices in Tough Times)

And, in a sign of how unusual the current budget situation is in government, the Senate has voted not to receive a pay increase for 2006 noting that the action would save some money for the government and, presumably, demonstrating support for cutting government spending.

Do you favor Congress not receiving a pay increase this year to show support for cutting government spending? And, on a more personal level, if Congress does not receive a pay increase, should this impact the 2006 pay raise for federal employees?

About the Author

Ralph Smith has several decades of experience working with federal human resources issues. He has written extensively on a full range of human resources topics in books and newsletters and is a co-founder of two companies and several newsletters on federal human resources. Follow Ralph on Twitter: @RalphSmith47