Congressman ‘Strongly Opposes’ OPM’s Proposed Benefits Cuts

One Congressman is unhappy with OPM’s proposals to reduce federal employees’ benefits and has expressed his dissent in a letter to the agency.

Congressman Mike Turner (R-OH) doesn’t like the benefits cuts that Office of Personnel Management director Jeff Pon is asking Congress to pass into law.

Yesterday, Turner sent Pon a letter expressing his “strong opposition” to the proposals.

Turner, whose district is home to over 30,000 federal employees, said that the federal government will not be able to recruit the best possible employees if it does not “maintain a competitive benefits package,” and Turner said that the proposed benefits cuts would “make the federal government a less attractive place to work.”

OPM’s Proposals

On May 4, Dr. Jeff Pon sent a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) urging Congress to pass legislation enacting various reforms to federal employees’ benefits.

The proposals are ones that the White House has called for in its recent budget proposal and in the President’s Management Agenda.

Specifically, OPM called for the following:

  • Eliminating federal employees’ retirement system annuity supplements
  • Modifying annuity supplements from a high 3 average to high 5 average salary
  • Increasing contributions to the Federal Employees Retirement System
  • Reducing or eliminating retirement cost-of-living adjustments (COLA)

For complete details on OPM’s proposals, and to join an ongoing spirited debate with other FedSmith readers in the comments, see OPM Proposes Changes to Bring Federal Benefits Closer to Private Sector.

Turner Letter to OPM

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.