Washington D.C. – Federal employees would receive an average 8.7 percent pay raise in 2024 under legislation introduced today and endorsed by the National Treasury Employees Union.

 

“Using fresh economic data, Congress and the administration can make federal pay adjustments that reflect current conditions, and this year’s proposal is on target,” said NTEU National President Tony Reardon. “An average 8.7 percent raise is a bold step and precisely what federal employees around the country need to keep up with rising costs and to begin closing the gap with higher salaries in the private sector.”

 

The Federal Adjustment of Incomes Rates (FAIR) Act is sponsored by Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia. The proposed raise consists of a 4.7 percent across-the-board increase plus an average 4 percent for locality pay, which is important for employees in areas with competitive labor markets and high costs of living. 

Washington D.C. – Persistent staffing shortages and the global pandemic are taking a toll on the frontline Customs and Border Protection employees who work at the nation’s ports of entry, NTEU National President Tony Reardon told Congress today. 

 

 

“Improving security, trade, and travel, and ensuring the safest possible working environment for CBP personnel at all ports of entry, including the nation’s seaports, are of paramount importance to our members, especially during the recent COVID-19 crisis,” Reardon said. 

 

 

Reardon testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation and Operations in a hearing to assess the state of America’s seaports. In many cases, workload at the seaports has increased while staffing levels have suffered.

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Washington D.C. –

A second attempt at legislation, introduced to the Senate last week, would compel the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hire at least 600 additional officers per year until its staffing needs are filled. 

The Securing America’s Ports of Entry Act was proposed by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and John Cornyn (R-TX). In addition to hiring officers, it would also grant CBP permission to hire support staff and technicians that tackle non-law enforcement functions. This could be particularly useful in the senators’ home states of Michigan and Texas, which house some of the nation’s busiest border crossings. 

“Dedicated Customs and Border Protection officers need more support to swiftly process lawful trade and travel coming through our ports of entry, as well as prevent illegal activities like drug trafficking at our borders,” Peters said. “This bipartisan bill will address shortages of these officers so Customs and Border Protection can effectively and efficiently operate and secure our borders – and maintain Michigan’s status as a hub of international commerce.”

The House on Wednesday passed a measure to avoid a debt default that would have catastrophic impacts on government operations and the U.S. economy, pairing the move with dramatic cuts to spending at non-defense federal agencies that will make the bill unpalatable to Democrats and the White House. 

The 2023 Limit, Save and Grow Act would slash discretionary spending at domestic agencies to its fiscal 2022 levels, leading to significant reductions of more than 20% in fiscal 2024. It would also cap annual spending growth to just 1% for the next decade. The bill would increase the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion or suspend it until March 31, 2024 if the government did not hit the new limit by that time. 

The measure passed in a party-line vote after Republican leadership struggled to minimize its defections since it released the bill text last week. In the end, just four Republicans opposed it and the legislation passed in a narrow 217-215 vote. While the bill is not expected to get approval in the Senate and President Biden said he would veto it, its passage marks an attempt to ramp up pressure on the White House to commence negotiations over what the administration will concede to avoid a debt default this summer. To date, Biden and congressional Democrats have refused to negotiate and demanded a “clean” debt limit increase without conditions.