FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 09, 2014
April 09, 2014
AFGE Urges Lawmakers to Oppose Paul Ryan Budget Resolution
FY15 budget would impose pay cuts, job losses and service reductions on federal workforce
WASHINGTON – The American Federation of Government Employees is urging lawmakers to oppose the fiscal 2015 budget resolution drafted by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan when it goes to the House floor this week.
The proposed budget would impose undue hardships on federal employees, who already have made “extraordinarily harsh financial sacrifices” during the past few years as a consequence of congressional budget agreements, AFGE Legislative and Political Director Beth Moten said in an April 8 letter to all House members.
Federal employees had their pay frozen for an unprecedented three consecutive years and received a scant 1% raise this year. Roughly 750,000 employees lost up to eight days of pay last summer due to sequestration-mandated furloughs. Employees hired since 2012 are facing massive contribution increases toward their retirement without any increase in benefits.
“Federal workers’ total sacrifice to date is $138 billion over ten years,” Moten wrote. “Yet this sacrifice by federal employees is not enough for Chairman Ryan.”
Among the proposals targeting the federal workforce:
- All federal employees would be required to pay an additional 5.5% of salary toward retirement with no increase in benefits
- Agencies would be able to replace only one employee for every three who leave
- Student loan reimbursements would be eliminated, causing a financial burden on employees with student loan debt and taking away an important recruitment incentive for federal agencies
- Non-defense spending would be cut by $791 billion below the level mandated by sequestration, forcing severe cuts in programs such as education, scientific research, food and drug safety, border security, and environmental protection
- Benefits for federal employees injured on the job would be greatly reduced
- More airport screening jobs would be privatized, reversing actions taken by Congress to shore up airport security in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks
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