This report provides an update on issues affecting federal managers. As always, I encourage you to visit www.fedmanagers.org on a regular basis for more information on these and other matters.

Also, be sure to look for the monthly FMA Grassroots Update, where we offer links to action letters and FMA-PAC matters we do not address in the Washington Report. The grassroots newsletter is sent exclusively to non-governmental email addresses to avoid any Hatch Act violations. If you are not receiving it, contact the national office to provide your non-governmental email address.

Please feel free to provide feedback any time by emailing Greg Stanford at gstanford@fedmanagers.org or by calling the National Office at (703) 683-8700. Thank you for your membership in FMA. It’s an honor to represent your interests before Congress and the administration.

In late January, Lawmakers in both the House and the Senate introduced legislation that would provide an average 8.7 percent pay raise for federal employees in 2024. The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act (H.R. 536 / S. 124) was introduced by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) in the House and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) in the Senate. FMA has endorsed both bills.

Federal managers deserve to be treated with respect for their efforts and the work they have performed over many years. Every job they hold and perform daily is because of a congressional mandate. It is not too much to ask that, in return, feds be given the ability to maintain a living wage that provides for them and their families.

Compensation for federal managers has not kept pace with inflation (6.5 percent in 2022 and 7.1 percent in 2021), increases to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (the average enrollee share increase for 2023 was 8.7 percent), or comparable private sector salaries in a locality pay area. The Federal Salary Council reported in 2022 that federal workers earned more than 24 percent less than private sector counterparts, a growing disparity that is driving many good feds out of public service and repelling others from considering it.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) introduced the Chance to Compete Act (H.R. 159), a federal hiring reform bill FMA endorsed, on January 10, 2023. The House approved the measure on January 24 by a vote of 422-2. Given the support similar legislation had in the Senate in the previous (117th) session of Congress, we are hopeful this commonsense bill will be passed and signed into law.

From the bill summary on Congress.gov, H.R. 159 “modifies examination requirements and other components of the federal hiring process for positions in the competitive service. Specifically, the bill provides that a qualifying examination includes a résumé review that is conducted by a subject matter expert. Additionally, beginning two years after the bill's enactment, the bill prohibits examinations from consisting solely of a self-assessment from an automated examination, a résumé review that is not conducted by a subject matter expert, or any other method of assessing an applicant's experience or education; an agency may waive these requirements when necessary but must report any such waivers and may not use waivers to fill more than 10 percent of agency positions.

FMA proudly helped lead the charge to bring paid parental leave to the federal workforce, which provides 12 weeks of paid leave to feds covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Lawmakers in both the House and the Senate have renewed the push to build on that success and provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for feds.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act (H.R. 856 / S. 274) on February 7. The House bill has eight bipartisan cosponsors, while the Senate bill has ten.

The 12 weeks of paid leave would replace the current 12 weeks of unpaid leave guaranteed by FMLA, and is separate from sick leave and annual leave. Employees would be required to have worked a minimum of one year at a federal agency to enjoy the benefit the bill would provide.

On February 8, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) introduced the Equal COLA Act. FMA supports this bill, which aims to bring equity to the way the cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) is determined for all federal retirees. The bill would make the annual COLA for both the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) equivalent to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). In a press release upon introduction, Rep. Connolly wrote, “this change would institute long-overdue parity between the two federal retirement systems and result in a more just retirement benefits system for all federal workers.”

FERS retirees’ COLAs are reduced under current law: When the CPI-W increase is 3 percent or greater, like the 8.7 percent in 2023, the FERS COLA is reduced by 1 percent. If the CPI-W is between 2 and 3 percent, FERS retirees see a 2 percent COLA, and when the CPI-W is less than 2 percent, the COLA is equal to the price index. H.R. 866 would allow FERS employees to combat inflation and maintain the value of their annuities. The bill, cosponsored by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) introduced the Fair COLA for Seniors Act of 2023 (H.R. 716) on February 1, aiming to increase Social Security benefits for seniors and people with disabilities. The bill would require Social Security to use the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E) to calculate the cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) for seniors.

In a press release, Garamendi wrote, “Seniors and disabled citizens rely on Social Security benefits for a large portion of their income, and it's about time for Social Security benefits to reflect their lifestyles. Using a COLA that actually reflects how retirees spend their money – especially in health care – is a no-brainer that will increase benefits and make Social Security work better for the people it serves."

Last month we reported one of the first bills introduced in the 118th Congress was a bill to eliminate the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82). FMA supports this bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA). The new bill is already up to 143 cosponsors in just four weeks.

In a joint press release, Reps. Graves and Spanberger wrote the WEP affects two million Social Security beneficiaries, and the GPO impacts 780,000 retirees.

Join FMA National President Craig Carter, the FMA Executive Board, and Director of Government Affairs Greg Stanford, for a Federal Managers Association Issue Briefs Discussion on Zoom on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 7:00 PM Eastern.

We will present on the current state of FMA issue briefs for the coming year, and highlight areas where we believe we can make progress in the first session of the 118th Congress. Attendees are encouraged to come prepared to ask any questions and discuss these issues.

A link to join will be sent directly to FMA members via email.

Registration is open now for FMA’s 85th National Convention & Management Training Seminar, to be held March 26-29, 2023, in Alexandria, Virginia. This year’s exciting event will be held at the Hilton Alexandria Old Town, a vibrant and historical city, home of the FMA national office and just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

Chapter Presidents are invited a join the National Executive Board for a late afternoon meeting on Sunday, March 26, and the following days will be packed with officer elections, consideration of resolutions, reports from the Executive Board and the government affairs team, training, and our annual Day on the Hill, when FMA members can walk the halls of Congress and meet with their elected representatives.

Early-bird registration is valid through February 13. Registration fees cover the training seminar, breakfasts, breaks, the award luncheon, and the closing reception. Click here to learn more and to register today! We look forward to seeing you.