Earlier this year, legislation was introduced in the House to give federal employees a 3.2% pay raise in 2022. Its companion version was officially introduced in the Senate this week by Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI).
Known as the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act (S. 561), introduction of the legislation has become an annual event for the lawmakers behind the effort: Senator Schatz and Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA). Each year, they propose legislation that would give federal employees a higher raise than what they might normally be likely to get via the usual political process of arriving at an annual pay raise.
Schatz explained the motive behind the legislation in a statement:
Federal workers play a critical role in our everyday lives – caring for our veterans, fighting the pandemic through medical research, and cutting our Social Security checks. These hardworking public servants deserve a raise. Our bill gives federal employees a 3.2 percent pay increase to help make up for the paychecks they’ve lost because of furloughs and pay freezes over the past few years.
Introduction of this year’s bill follows a 1% pay raise for federal employees in 2021.
The White House is expected to announce its budget blueprint in the spring which normally includes a proposal for a pay raise for federal employees for the following year. We will provide updates when the new information on next year’s pay raise becomes available.
