Congress has returned from its August recess with a packed agenda and impending deadlines that could affect your job, your union rights, and your wallet. Here’s a look at 5 things to watch out for on Capitol Hill in the weeks to come:
1. Restoring Your Union Rights
As soon as President Trump issued his March executive order stripping nearly one million federal workers of their collective bargaining rights, AFGE and other labor allies began working to overturn it.
We got bipartisan legislation introduced in Congress that would overturn the order, then we mobilized to get most members of Congress to sign on as cosponsors. But House majority leadership is opposed to the bill and is refusing to bring the bill to the floor for a vote, so we need to force them to act.
That’s where Discharge Petition No. 6 comes in. A discharge petition would bring the Protect America’s Workforce Act (H.R. 2550) to the House floor for an immediate vote – bypassing the typical procedural impediments.
As of this writing, the petition has been signed by 214 members of Congress: 211 Democrats and 3 Republicans. We need to secure 218 signatures to bring the underlying bill to the House floor for a vote.
Assuming we can secure the required signatures this month, the House could be compelled to vote on the bill to restore our collective bargaining rights as early as October.
What you can do: Call your congressional offices and make sure your representative has sponsored the discharge petition to bring the Protect America’s Workforce Act to a vote.
2. Funding Agencies Now and into 2026
Congress has yet to approve any of the appropriations bills to fund federal agencies past the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 – setting up the potential for a government shutdown.
Congressional Republicans likely will propose a continuing resolution that would keep federal budgets largely frozen at fiscal 2024 approved levels for the second consecutive year. However, Senate Democrats may reject any continuing resolution unless it is for a limited duration in which to negotiate a bipartisan spending compromise and includes safeguards to ensure the Trump administration spends federal dollars as Congress stipulates. Without Senate Democratic support, a continuing resolution cannot be enacted, which would all but guarantee a shutdown starting Oct. 1.
Republican leadership may attempt to pass spending bills for certain agencies focused on national security and veterans’ issues, but that would result in all other employees being furloughed without pay or ordered to work without pay.
Another complication is the administration’s attempts to claw back funding that already has been approved for the current fiscal year. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought is widely expected to use an untested and likely illegal budget maneuver called a “pocket rescission” to cancel funds that Congress appropriated for this year in the continuing resolution it passed in March.
Refusing to spend money that Congress has approved on federal agencies and programs would directly affect AFGE members. Depending on the size and scope, a recession could cause chaos across the federal government and likely would be met with immediate legal challenges.
3. Boosting Your Take-Home Pay
On Aug. 28, President Trump issued an alternative pay plan that calls for providing most federal employees with a 1 percent across-the-board pay raise in 2026 and freezing locality pay at current levels.
Under Trump’s alternative plan, employees in some law enforcement occupations would receive an overall raise of 3.8 percent to match the increase Congress is expected to approve for members of the military.
Failing to provide all federal employees with at least the same raise service members are slated to receive breaks a long-held tradition of pay raise parity between the two groups.
AFGE has endorsed legislation introduced in the House and Senate that would provide federal employees with a 4.3% pay adjustment in 2026.
Federal salaries on average remain 27% below salaries paid for similar jobs outside the federal government – resulting in recruitment and retention challenges, chronic understaffing, and rampant outsourcing.
4. Bracing for More Budget Cuts
Even if Congress manages to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month, damaging budget cuts may still be on the table.
Republicans hoping to downsize the federal government could propose making significant cuts to agencies unrelated to homeland security and defense through yet another reconciliation package.
Another round of budget cuts could grievously hurt the federal workforce, mainly by proposing steep cuts to agency salaries and expenses that could result in more federal employees losing their jobs.
5. Supporting Workers in DoD and Governmentwide
Every year, Congress without fail has passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA. This policy bill establishes the legal authority for various government programs, agencies, or activities. Unlike appropriations bills, it does not allocate any funds.
AFGE has secured numerous victories in previous NDAAs for employees both inside and outside the Defense Department, including protecting federal jobs from outsourcing, increasing pay for wage grade employees, and making sure newly hired federal workers have the same probationary period regardless of agency.
There has been little advance work on the NDAA this year by either the House or Senate, adding to uncertainty about what may or may not be included in the bill. Congress typically passes this bill in a bipartisan and bicameral manner, but there could be pressure by the administration to use this year’s bill for anti-labor initiatives like rolling back collective bargaining and official time at DoD and other agencies.
AFGE will be keeping a close eye on negotiations over the bill and alert members of any concerns.
Since taking office in January 2025, President Trump has issued a series of unlawful executive orders, and taken several unlawful actions, seeking to shut down congressionally mandated agencies, fire and displace federal workers, outlaw their unions, and gut merit systems protections.
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