May 20, 2025
 
The House Budget Committee approved their budget reconciliation legislation that will cut employee rights and benefits.  
 
Late Sunday night, the House Budget Committee passed its budget reconciliation legislation along a party-line vote. Budget reconciliation, which was authorized earlier this year when Congress passed a budget resolution, is a special process that allows Congress to expedite consideration of certain and specified changes in law to align spending, revenue, and the debt limit with agreed-upon budget targets with a simple majority vote.  
 
Previously, the language passed by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform contained drastic cuts to employee pay and benefits. I’m pleased to report that after intense lobbying by members of NTEU and other unions, some of these proposed changes have been dropped and others modified, including: 

• The bill no longer includes an increase in FERS premiums to 4.4% across-the-board, which prevents a pay cut for anyone hired before 2014.
• Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs), including CBP Officers will still be eligible to receive the FERS supplemental.
• The change from the current high-3 average to a high-5 average for the annuity calculation would now go into effect on January 1, 2028. 

• Eliminating the FERS Supplemental for non-LEO employees;
• Making new federal employees pay more for FERS in exchange for maintaining civil service rights; and
• Requiring employees to pay a fee for filing an appeal with the Merit Systems Protection Board.

The next step in this process is for the House Rules Committee to consider the bill, and it is possible that further amendments could be made. Then the full House could consider the bill as soon as late this week. It is incredibly important that Congress continues to hear from NTEU members and our friends and family. Please take a few moments and click here to send a letter to your Representative.
 
Doreen P. Greenwald
National President