Senate appropriators propose federal pay freeze for 2021 – By Jessie Bur (Federal Times) / Nov 11 2020
Federal employees would not receive an across-the-board increase in pay next year under provisions outlined in a series of fiscal year 2021 funding bills released by the Senate Appropriations Committee Nov. 10.
Unlike FY2021 funding passed in the House earlier this year — which simply did not include any provision addressing federal pay — the Senate bill actively sets 2021 pay levels at the same rate as 2020. That difference would override any planned pay increase out of the White House, which was set at 1 percent in President Donald Trump’s February budget proposal.
Federal employees have seen record pay increases in recent years, all established by appropriations legislation, rather than the White House.
But concerns over increased government spending have often been met with proposals to save money by freezing federal pay, as was the case in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Spending on COVID-19 relief, coupled with a pandemic-downturned economy, has likely contributed to a lack of congressional enthusiasm on a 2021 increase.
