…from Jennifer Warburton, NALC Director of Legislative and Political Affairs
Nov. 12, 2013—As House and Senate budget conferees get to work on a federal budget deal, there are many rumors floating about town on what will be included in it.
With a deadline of January 15, 2014, discussions are well under way.
I believe it is fair to say at this point that the first rumor we can disallow is the notion that there will be a “grand bargain.” Once again, the refusal from the “right” to include any tax increases has been met with the refusal from the “left” to include any entitlement cuts without a fair middle ground.
Where does that leave the negotiations? The answer: A bare-bones continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded for an additional few months.
However, as the House and Senate continue discussions on what will be included in a budget package, the NALC is following along with a close eye. There may be an opportunity to include several positive components of a postal reform package into the budget conference, components the NALC would more than likely support.
But the buzz around Capitol Hill is that the budget might also include yet another hit to federal employees—significant employee increases to Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension contributions.
There is the Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) approach, which would increase pension contributions 5.5 percent; the Obama budget proposal, which would increase pension contributions by 1.2 percent over three years; or the Senate approach, which is silence (on this issue).
Obviously, the NALC vehemently opposes any increases to pension contributions, as they are unjustified and equate to a pay cut. Congress needs to find another source for deficit reduction; federal employees cannot continue to balance the national budget on their own, especially when the federal workforce has already contributed $105 billion to debt reduction through pay freezes and higher retirement contributions for new hires (post-2012).
Stay tuned…the details will be unfolding in the next several weeks and, as always, the devil will be in the details.
Eliminating New Fed’s pensions, a group of Republican senators, Richard Burr-NC, Saxby Chambliss-GA and Tom Coburn-Okla. got The public-private employees retirement parity act which will eliminate the defined benefit portion of the federal employees retirement system for all new government workers hired six months after it’s enactment is in the works.
you others will get to pay more an go by your high 5 years soon enough.
God Bless
Unfortunately it always seems to be a republican trying to derail the Postal Service and it’s employee’s and families. Mr Ryan should take a 5.5 % pay cut for suggesting it! It’s alarming to think there are more in Congress just like this careless (other then himself) individuals who make these senseless comments. Get rid of the 5.5 billion that the republican administration (Bush) strapped the Postal Service with and you have a great start to putting the service back on the path to financial freedom. I think the American people should clean house with some of these lunatics!We need more level headed, common sense individuals defining our futures. Taking a pay cut by increasing retirement contributions is not conducive to alleviating the problem but only convoluting it more. Mr. Ryan’s lack of having an ability to bring forth a genuine well thought out plan shines brightly on any committee member for postal reform who has a propensity for common sense. Therefore,he can’t be taken seriously and only makes himself look foolish, lacking any credibility in bringing meaningful dialogue to the table.
The political right does not want to touch the top richest 1% with new taxes, not even the top 10% for that matter.
Why should the shrinking middle class continue to take these hits (calling them entitlements when they have been earned)?
Big business is not investing here in the USA. They are buying back their outstanding shares of stock and putting the monies into overseas investments and hiring no one state side.
If this trade agreement call the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) passes Congress, we are suppose to compete with Vietnamese wages?
Get these airheads out of Congress the next time around, PLEASE!!