President Donald Trump is putting in a federal salary freeze in 2019. This doesn’t contradict what we reported just last week; that Trump signed into law a 2.6% pay rise for members of the military and their families, which is the largest pay raise in nine years. Those in the armed forces are the only ones exempt from the federal pay freeze.
“I have determined that for 2019, both across the board pay increases and locality pay increases will be set at zero,” President Trump said in a letter that was released by the White House. “These alternative pay plan decisions will not materially affect our ability to attract and retain a well qualified Federal workforce.”
According to CNBC, “The Trump administration proposed $143.5 billion in cuts to federal employee compensation in May, including substantial decreases in retirement funding. Also that month, Trump signed three executive orders that made it easier to fire civilian employees and put new limits on union activity. A federal judge invalidated many of the provisions in those executive orders on Saturday.”
NEWS: President Trump says he's eliminating a pay raise for civilian federal employees slated for 2019 in order to "put our Nation on a fiscally sustainable course." pic.twitter.com/7wNAgoMdKX
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) August 30, 2018
Freezing government spending is a stealthy way to cut spending, given that inflation will decrease the real value of stagnant salaries being paid out by the federal government.
This freeze will only occur if Congress agrees to it. The Senate has proposed a 1.9% pay increase for federal workers, and given the Republican majority, it’ll be a test of just how fiscally conservative they really are in choosing between a freeze and 1.9% hike.
In addition to the hike, Trump also called for future pay increases to be performance-based, not automatic. “As noted in my Budget for Fiscal Year 2019, the cost of employing the Federal workforce is significant. In light of our Nation’s fiscal situation, Federal employee pay must be performance-based and aligned strategically toward recruiting, retaining, and rewarding high-performing Federal employees and those with critical skill sets. Across-the-board pay increases and locality pay increases, in particular, have long-term fixed costs, yet fail to address existing pay disparities or target mission-critical recruitment and retention goals.”
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Federal bureaucrats make 78% more in total compensation than people in the private sector, and state and local employees make on average 25% more. The salaries of federal workers could be frozen for a decade and they’d still be out-earning their counterparts in the private sector.
While the federal deficit is expected to be $1 trillion this year, even a 1% annual cut in the federal budget would balance it by 2024.
What makes this proposed cut even better is that it comes on top of other proposed spending cuts. While President Trump hasn’t been as strong as we’d like to see in reducing the deficit, at least he shows a willingness to cut spending. (RELATED: White House Planning to Rescind Spending From $1.3 Trillion Omnibus.)
More so, cutting government worker pay may incense federal employees, but Trump should keep one thing in mind: most bureaucrats already hate his guts. This is a nice way to get even with people who are trying to subvert his agenda from the inside.
Overall, preventing the federal worker from getting a raise is good economics. And it will probably be good politics too during the 2020 election. Trump doesn’t need the support of federal workers to win re-election. He needs the support of normal working Americans, just like last time.
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So, go to work in the private sector if you don’t like it.
When Federal judges tried to stop Big ‘O’s plans for offshore drilling after the big spill he just ignored them and continued with his plans. Nobody stopped him.
“Trump signed three executive orders that made it easier to fire civilian employees and put new limits on union activity. A federal judge invalidated many of the provisions in those executive orders on Saturday.”
Why does a federal judge’s ruling have to be abided-by, by President Trump? If the Supreme Court rules against his orders, that is another matter. But for some federal judge to hold our president’s orders hostage is ludicrous. Like Andrew Jackson defied even the Supreme Court when they ruled against him, “So they made their decision; now, let them try to enforce it,” I see no reason why President Trump can’t just ignore these judges?
I’d like to see him permanently thin the masses. Our government has gotten too large to monitor and police. Fraud and abuses are rampant, because no one is minding the store. Why should governmental employees be paid 78% higher than the other workers in America? I hope we see some Agencies be combined and some totally dismantled.
good job Mr. President…these federal employees pretty much do nothing all day…they have paid vacations and full benefits…it’s about time the men and women of the military get their raises…
Even FDR saw the downside of unionizing federal workers. Hard to imagine that these losers are making the money they get. (They certainly don’t “earn” it) Keep up the good work, President Trump. Anything you do that pisses of a lib is, definitely, the right path to be on.
Anyone who doesn’t like it can look for something else. We have to get the Federal budget under control, and the pay raises need to be performance raises.
If it weren’t for President Obama we might not have done the intelligence community assessment that we did that set up a whole sequence of events which are still unfolding today including Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation. President Obama is responsible for that. It was he who tasked us to do that intelligence community assessment in the first place. CLAPPER’S OWN CONFESSION
AMERICANS WE HAVE TO TAKE BACK OUR AMERICA FROM THE EVIL CRIMINAL ACTS OF DEMOCRATS………………………..TO SOLVE AMERICAS PROBLEMS MAKE THIS CHOICE WE THE PEOPLE’ HAVE THE POWER OF OUR VOICES AND OUR VOTES, TO VOTE OUT THE ENTIRE LYING,CORRUPT, TREASONOUS DEMOCRAT PARTY COME NOV 2018, VOTE TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN AND TO END ALL CORRUPTIONS IN WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT
FINALLY, THERE “IS A FIX FOR STUPIDITY!!!!
JOHN McTRAITOR IS DEAD!!!
How come none of Barak Obama’s executive orders were ever overturned by a judge?
I would like to see a COLA raise that uses the cost of gas and groceries as a large part of it. Currently these are not included in the cost of living and I cannot understand why not. Many groceries have increased 50% in the last few months as has gas. I am a state retiree and we have not had a raise in our retirement in 10 years. I hate that I gave my entire working life to an entity that does not value their retirees enough to meet their obligations for the promised increases in retirement. We are getting farther behind in our ability to meet our financial obligations.
Nice move, federal employees spend half of their “work” days sipping coffee and scratching their asses anyway. The people who truly need an increase are those of us living on social security.
I’d like to see a COL raise at the very least in my social security before any raise in congress or the government.
President Trump is being very practical. Deficits and debt must be reduced.
four words
IT IS ABOUT TIME
I agree with this action 100%.
Federal employees are already enjoying cushy salaries many times over what’s received here in the real world.
And,,, they don’t have to meet the standards and requirements that we do to stay employed.
This whole scenario needs to be critiqued.
NOW,,,, Lets take a serious look at all the bennies that Congress and the Senate bestow on themselves without needing our consent.
There’s got to be tons of spending cuts for these people that we should insist on seeing.
All in all the whole damned Federal Government is rather top heavy when it comes to the amount of compensation received considering its recent performance.
Great move President Trump but now lets look towards the Capital Building.
its funny that every year for the last 10 years federal employees recieved a cost of living increase because of inflation but people who are on social security and social security disability did not even recieve the lowest level of cost of living increases, trump did help a little last year when he made sure everyone got a 4% increase, but under obama cola increases were few and far between , he claimed there was no Appreciable inflation when in all actuality inflation was over 100% during his time in office on the basics one needs just to survive, if federal employees get an automatic cost of living increase every year then those on social security should get the exact same increase every year.
What bothers me is that I met with my old Vietnam Veterans group and everyone had stories to tell about how now in part because of Hillary health services initiatives they can not get approval from SS for operations many of them are needed. The fed will push pain killers instead of operations. I wonder if that is peoples general perception?
And if you saw Bernie the socialist trying to add additional taxes on Amazon to pay for employees on food stamps with $15.00 an hour jobs or more. The articles I read tore him up for getting much of his facts wrong in regard to the quality of working conditions and employee welfare. More government means more for government wage earners and less or everyone else. Is that a true or false perception?
That might actually shut down the USG.
In the “real world”, pay raises ARE based on “job performance” and they should be. If these federal workers are not happy with the President’s decision, they should (by all means) get out “in the real world”, find a “real job” and see how well that does (or does not) work for them- – -daresay most would learn a “real work ethic” in a hurry!
I agree 100%. We have a $20+ trillion deficit and the people who got us there do NOT deserve pay raises. Especially Congressmen and Senators!!
I’m for it. I cant stand paying taxes to go to a person that if you need their assistance with the complications of government and to get the right answer you still have to kiss their ass.
This will not have any effect on workers who are part of a collective bargaining agreement….which MOST federal workers are. Their pay raises are locked in for the duration of their contracts and specific as to how much and when they are do…Just another reason that Government unions need to be abolished.
this will not slow down the demokrauts in the least bit they have so many scams that its pathetic, their hands full of corruption money will not shrink iat all. they have the government rigged so it is a free for all for them. think about it liberals pushed legislation to make sure planned parenthood gets government funding from the tax payers, and who does planned parenthood give millions to every year for their political campaigns? the demokrauts. i am not sure of the numbers but i would venture a guess that taxpayer millions are going directly back to the demokrauts and that is why the liberal politicians scream so loudly when there is talk about stripping the tax payer funding from planned parenthood. my bet is from the very start there was a deal made saying we will make sure you get federal funding but for us to do that you have to give us 75% of it back thru campaign contributions. it works out great for both of them and the demokrauts get to force all united states citizens to subsidize their campaigns. i am not really sure why conservatives have never sued over this or wrote legislation that forbids entities who recieve tax payer funding to contribute to political campaigns unless they give the same amount to each party. i dont want my tax dollars paying for demokraut political campaigns or abortons and i should not be forced to support politicans who I dont believe in !
These freeze savings cut into the democrat’s booty farm nearly as badly as the scotus union decision and with no cost to the good guys since the fed elite bureaucrats all vote commie and donate the same way. I wouldn’t urinate on them if they were on fire and how what bureaucrats do is called “service” is way, way beyond me. More like usury if you ask me.
recall President Reagen… fired a whole lot of people and the world keep revolving. fire a lot of swamp dwellers and tell judges to go to hell, they are not elected nor hired to run the Country.
Well done! Given the massive disparities between compensation for those who WORK for the people and the people themselves, we should start cutting total compensations of the under worked and overpaid bureaucrats to a point that is less than the average of those they work for. When the workers are paid more than the owners, why be an owner?
Fed workers get 73% higher salaries than their peers in the private sector? And do far less work every day, I’m sure. Trump should freeze their pay for 5 years and give the rest of us time to catch up!
Also Hoping President Trump looks at the budget of ex-presidents. IMO, the ex-presidents should not get a dime anymore for their offices, etc. They are all millionaires and can very well afford to cover their own expenses. Why should taxpayer money pay for their offices, libraries, etc??
its about time we had a president that rules by inteelect, not a head count of corrupt partisans…
So, go to work in the private sector if you don’t like it.
“Trump signed three executive orders that made it easier to fire civilian employees and put new limits on union activity. A federal judge invalidated many of the provisions in those executive orders on Saturday.”
Why does a federal judge’s ruling have to be abided-by, by President Trump? If the Supreme Court rules against his orders, that is another matter. But for some federal judge to hold our president’s orders hostage is ludicrous. Like Andrew Jackson defied even the Supreme Court when they ruled against him, “So they made their decision; now, let them try to enforce it,” I see no reason why President Trump can’t just ignore these judges?
When Federal judges tried to stop Big ‘O’s plans for offshore drilling after the big spill he just ignored them and continued with his plans. Nobody stopped him.
I’d like to see him permanently thin the masses. Our government has gotten too large to monitor and police. Fraud and abuses are rampant, because no one is minding the store. Why should governmental employees be paid 78% higher than the other workers in America? I hope we see some Agencies be combined and some totally dismantled.
good job Mr. President…these federal employees pretty much do nothing all day…they have paid vacations and full benefits…it’s about time the men and women of the military get their raises…
Even FDR saw the downside of unionizing federal workers. Hard to imagine that these losers are making the money they get. (They certainly don’t “earn” it) Keep up the good work, President Trump. Anything you do that pisses of a lib is, definitely, the right path to be on.
Anyone who doesn’t like it can look for something else. We have to get the Federal budget under control, and the pay raises need to be performance raises.
If it weren’t for President Obama we might not have done the intelligence community assessment that we did that set up a whole sequence of events which are still unfolding today including Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation. President Obama is responsible for that. It was he who tasked us to do that intelligence community assessment in the first place. CLAPPER’S OWN CONFESSION
AMERICANS WE HAVE TO TAKE BACK OUR AMERICA FROM THE EVIL CRIMINAL ACTS OF DEMOCRATS………………………..TO SOLVE AMERICAS PROBLEMS MAKE THIS CHOICE WE THE PEOPLE’ HAVE THE POWER OF OUR VOICES AND OUR VOTES, TO VOTE OUT THE ENTIRE LYING,CORRUPT, TREASONOUS DEMOCRAT PARTY COME NOV 2018, VOTE TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN AND TO END ALL CORRUPTIONS IN WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT
FINALLY, THERE “IS A FIX FOR STUPIDITY!!!!
JOHN McTRAITOR IS DEAD!!!
How come none of Barak Obama’s executive orders were ever overturned by a judge?
I would like to see a COLA raise that uses the cost of gas and groceries as a large part of it. Currently these are not included in the cost of living and I cannot understand why not. Many groceries have increased 50% in the last few months as has gas. I am a state retiree and we have not had a raise in our retirement in 10 years. I hate that I gave my entire working life to an entity that does not value their retirees enough to meet their obligations for the promised increases in retirement. We are getting farther behind in our ability to meet our financial obligations.
Nice move, federal employees spend half of their “work” days sipping coffee and scratching their asses anyway. The people who truly need an increase are those of us living on social security.
I’d like to see a COL raise at the very least in my social security before any raise in congress or the government.
President Trump is being very practical. Deficits and debt must be reduced.
four words
IT IS ABOUT TIME
I agree with this action 100%.
Federal employees are already enjoying cushy salaries many times over what’s received here in the real world.
And,,, they don’t have to meet the standards and requirements that we do to stay employed.
This whole scenario needs to be critiqued.
NOW,,,, Lets take a serious look at all the bennies that Congress and the Senate bestow on themselves without needing our consent.
There’s got to be tons of spending cuts for these people that we should insist on seeing.
All in all the whole damned Federal Government is rather top heavy when it comes to the amount of compensation received considering its recent performance.
Great move President Trump but now lets look towards the Capital Building.
its funny that every year for the last 10 years federal employees recieved a cost of living increase because of inflation but people who are on social security and social security disability did not even recieve the lowest level of cost of living increases, trump did help a little last year when he made sure everyone got a 4% increase, but under obama cola increases were few and far between , he claimed there was no Appreciable inflation when in all actuality inflation was over 100% during his time in office on the basics one needs just to survive, if federal employees get an automatic cost of living increase every year then those on social security should get the exact same increase every year.
What bothers me is that I met with my old Vietnam Veterans group and everyone had stories to tell about how now in part because of Hillary health services initiatives they can not get approval from SS for operations many of them are needed. The fed will push pain killers instead of operations. I wonder if that is peoples general perception?
And if you saw Bernie the socialist trying to add additional taxes on Amazon to pay for employees on food stamps with $15.00 an hour jobs or more. The articles I read tore him up for getting much of his facts wrong in regard to the quality of working conditions and employee welfare. More government means more for government wage earners and less or everyone else. Is that a true or false perception?
That might actually shut down the USG.
In the “real world”, pay raises ARE based on “job performance” and they should be. If these federal workers are not happy with the President’s decision, they should (by all means) get out “in the real world”, find a “real job” and see how well that does (or does not) work for them- – -daresay most would learn a “real work ethic” in a hurry!
I agree 100%. We have a $20+ trillion deficit and the people who got us there do NOT deserve pay raises. Especially Congressmen and Senators!!