On May 24, FMA and our Federal-Postal Coalition (FPC) partners sent letters to legislators in the U.S. House and Senate in support of the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, which would provide a 3.2 percent pay raise for feds in 2022. This across-the-board raise would provide a 2.2 percent increase to base pay and a 1 percent boost to locality pay, which was frozen at 2020 levels this year.

Days later, the Biden administration proposed a 2.7 percent raise as part of its Fiscal Year 2022 budget request. You can read more details about that request in another article in this Washington Report. FMA continues to support the 3.2 percent raise, as provided by the FAIR Act. 

On May 25, the House Oversight and Reform Committee approved the Preventing a Patronage System Act (H.R. 302) by a vote of 22-19. The bill, sponsored by House Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), prohibits executive agency positions in the competitive service from being placed in the excepted service, unless such positions are placed in Schedules A through E as in effect on September 30, 2020. The bill also prohibits positions in the excepted service from being placed in any schedule other than the aforementioned schedules.

On Wednesday, October 21, President Donald Trump released an Executive Order (EO) creating Schedule F in the Federal Government’s Excepted Service. FMA immediately voiced opposition to the action, which creates a new class of career “confidential, policy-determining, or policy-advocating” positions, unprotected by traditional due process. FMA National President Craig Carter said, “By undermining the Pendleton Act, it will take all political neutrality out of the leadership of the civil service and eliminate the insulation provided by Pendleton from that type of influence.”

In May, the Government Managers Coalition (GMC), of which FMA is a member, sent a letter to congressional leaders in support of the Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act (H.R. 564 / S. 1158). This legislation, introduced in the House in January by Oversight and Reform Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and in April in the Senate by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), would build on the success of providing 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees, and provide paid leave for all instances covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act. The GMC consists of the five major federal-sector executive and management professional associations. 

The letter said, “The Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act would provide 12 weeks of paid leave annually for federal employees dealing with a personal illness, caring for a family member suffering from an illness, or in connection with a family member returning from or going into active military service. As you know, families in our country all too often have to choose between caring for themselves or a loved one and their paycheck. This problem has been acutely felt during the pandemic, as many federal employees have fallen ill while serving on the front lines as essential healthcare workers, emergency logisticians, air traffic controllers, and experts connecting Americans to financial relief and other services; however, the problems posed by the lack of paid leave existed prior to COVID-19, and are sure to persist after the pandemic ends. 

On May 28, President Biden announced his budget request for Fiscal Year 2022. In it, he is calling for a 2.7 percent pay raise for the federal workforce. In a press release, FMA National President Craig Carter recognized the Administration’s effort, but indicated continuing support for the FAIR Act, introduced in the House and the Senate, which would provide for a 3.2 percent pay raise in 2022. 

“We recognize the proposed 2.7 percent pay raise for the federal workforce as a significant improvement from the 1 percent raise feds received this year, and we acknowledge the return to the traditional pay parity for feds with the uniformed military. FMA is already on record as endorsing the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act in both the House and Senate, which would provide for a 3.2 percent pay raise in 2022, and we will continue to advocate for that as a reasonable boost for both the federal workforce and the military,” Carter said. 

FMA has been vocal in urging the Biden Administration to nominate candidates to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). In late April, Biden selected Cathy Harris to serve as Chair of the MSPB, which has not had a quorum for more than four years, and has not had any members for more than two years. FMA supports Cathy Harris’ nomination, and urges her swift consideration and confirmation. Further, FMA continues to urge a quorum, which the board needs to finalize cases. There is a backlog of more than 3,200 cases.

FMA highlighted this issue, and why it is important, in our “Hear It from FMA” column in the June 8 edition of FEDManger.com. Click here to read the full article. In the article, we noted our previous support for Cathy Harris, as well as other qualified nominees FMA has recommended to the Biden Administration.   

U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) FMA Chapter 373 accepted an invitation by the Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, to provide outside witness testimony for Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations for the USMS. This four-page letter, along with supporting evidence gathered by Jason Wojdylo and David Barnes of Chapter 373, lays bare the precarious state of staffing at the USMS. While staffing levels for the USMS seem reasonable at first glance, the testimony provided by Chapter 373 goes into detail on how “empire building” at various headquarter divisions and staff offices by systematically stripping district offices of key personnel has resulted in a deleterious effect on the readiness of district offices to carry out their missions.

The USMS Chief of Staff reported that the average district office was staffed at 69 percent capacity, meaning that district offices are expected to complete their missions with barely two thirds of the personnel considered necessary to do so. This is a result, not of a lack of funding for the USMS overall, but of the exponential growth of headquarter divisions and staff offices at the expense of district offices. While Congress authorized funding for an additional 1,000 Deputy U.S. Marshals (DUSMs) last year, a similar number were stripped from district offices and reassigned to headquarter divisions in order to perform functions outside of the USMS core mission. 

You probably watched Schoolhouse Rock as a kid to learn about how a bill becomes a law. The truth is reality is a little more complicated than Schoolhouse Rock might make it seem. Have you ever been curious about how an idea like additional sick leave for wounded veteran feds actually goes from a good suggestion to a law like the FMA-originated Wounded Warrior Federal Leave Act? If yes, join us for our FMA on Capitol Hill event on June 22nd at 7:00 PM Eastern! We will hear from FMA’s Greg Stanford, FMA Director of Government & Public Affairs, on how FMA is able to pass bills and makes progress in a time of unprecedented gridlock and partisanship. 

To join, click here: https://zoom.us/j/99373318115?pwd=R1Y2eUdoeEpxc250djR2RHEyUjY4QT09

On June 2, FMA Director of Government and Public Affairs Greg Stanford appeared as a special guest on the hour-long Your Turn with Mike Causey program on Federal News Network. Greg and Mike discussed a wide variety of issues, including the 2.7 percent pay raise for feds as proposed in President Biden's 2022 budget request, potential changes to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), and rethinking telework.

Click here to listen to the broadcast.