Press Releases

Today, Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Government Operations, reintroduced theFederal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, a bill that would provide federal employees with a 3.2 percent pay increase in calendar year 2022. Senator Schatz (D-HI) will soon introduce the Senate companion. Connolly and Schatz previously introduced similar legislation in the 115^th and 116^th Congresses.

With the exception of 2020, Congress has failed for a decade to enact an increase to basic pay for federal employees that corresponds to the amount outlined by statute (5 U.S. Code § 5303).  Meanwhile, during the last 10 years, federal employees have had to endure government shutdowns, pay freezes, hiring freezes, and lost pay as a result of sequestration-related furloughs. The FAIR Act’s wage adjustment restores years of lost wage increases for federal employees by ensuring that federal employees serving in all 50 States on behalf of constituents in every congressional district, earn an average pay increase of 3.2 percent.

“Federal employees have scapegoated for four long years,”said Chairman Connolly. “ They've worked tirelessly throughout a global pandemic, risking their lives in service to the American people. And how has the Trump Administration thanked them? With cruel personal attacks, unsafe work environments, pay freezes, government shutdowns, sequestration cuts, furloughs, and a mindless across-the-board hiring freeze. Still, our federal workforce serves with dedication and distinction every day. They deserve better. The FAIR Act is critical step towards recognizing their contributions and providing fair and just compensation."

"Federal workers play an important role in our everyday lives. They’re caring for our veterans, providing critical research to help fight the pandemic, and cutting our social security checks,"said Senator Schatz. "After suffering through furloughs and pay freezes over the past few years, these hardworking public servants deserve a raise — and our bill will make sure they finally get one." 

In addition to Connolly, the FAIR Act is cosponsored in the House by Reps. Raskin, Sarbanes, Trone, Brown, Norton, Wexton, Beyer, Speier, Khanna, Lynch and C. Maloney.

The legislation is supported by: National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), Antilles Consolidated Education Association (ACEA), National Weather Service Employees Organization (NWSEO), Patent Office Professional Association (POPA), National Education Association (NEA), Federal Education Association (FEA), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).

Text of the FAIR Act is available here.