Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, today introduced the latest version of their Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, which would provide Federal employees with an 8.7 percent pay increase in 2024.
For nine consecutive years, the two Democratic lawmakers have introduced similar versions of the legislation. Congress has yet to pass any versions of that bill – but the legislation has tracked with a general upswing in Fed pay for the past few years.
In the 117th Congress, the lawmakers argued in favor of a 5.1 percent pay raise for 2023. President Biden ended up approving a 4.6 percent pay raise.
Before that, in the 2021 version, they called for a 3.2 percent pay raise. Instead, President Biden signed an executive order in December 2021 that authorized an average 2.7 percent Federal pay raise for 2022.
This year Rep. Connolly and Sen. Schatz have proposed an even larger pay raise increase.
The proposed 8.7 percent wage increase would “restore years of lost wage increases for Federal employees” by ensuring that they “earn an average pay increase of 8.7 percent,” the lawmakers said.
“For years now, Federal employees have risked their health and safety working on the frontlines of this pandemic,” the members of Congress said in a statement. “Still, our Federal workforce serves with dedication and distinction every day. Federal employees are our government’s single greatest asset, and they deserve better. The FAIR Act is a critical step toward recognizing their contributions and providing fair and just compensation.”
“Whether inspecting our food, conducting medical research, or caring for our veterans, Federal workers play an important role in our everyday lives and deserve pay that reflects that,” said Sen. Schatz. “After years of pay freezes, our bill gives these dedicated public servants a much-deserved raise.”
This year the FAIR Act is cosponsored in the House by Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., David Trone, D-Md., John Sarbanes, D-Md., Mark Pocan, D-Wisc., Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., Jared Huffman, D-Calif., Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., Blake Moore, R-Utah, Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., Danny Davis, D-Ill., Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., Robert Scott, D-Va., Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., Don Beyer, D-Va., Charles Ruppersberger, D-Md., Alice Titus, D-Nev., Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., and Dwight Evans, D-Pa.
