Hoyer: People Who Work for the Government Should Be Able to Afford to Work for the Government

September 23, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) delivered remarks at a press conference with members of the Federal Workforce Caucus and federal employee union leaders to highlight the impact of President Donald Trump's proposed 2027 pay freeze on the federal workforce. Below is a transcript of his remarks: Image "Congressman Walkinshaw, thank you very, very much. Congressman Walkinshaw is a new Member of the Congress of the United States. He's not a new member of representing, literally, hundreds of thousands, over the years, federal employees. He is not somebody who is not experienced at running a government who can make sure that you can recruit and retain the best, so that we can give people the best service possible. He is not new to the challenge that he met when he came to Congress of the United States with this Administration, with Russell Vought, whose intent, as he pointed out, was to visit Trump on federal employees. And to the federal employees who may be watching, our president reported $2.2 billion of income. Do any of you think when he goes to the grocery store – I don’t think he goes to the grocery store – and he picks up a piece of pizza, says, ‘That may be too expensive for me.’ Or that when he goes to a gasoline station – of course, we know he doesn’t – that he worries about either diesel or gasoline products being $2, $3, or $4 higher than they were six months ago? Of course you don't. Americans are struggling to pay their bills. Americans are struggling to reach an economy that is affordable for them and their families. By the way, federal employees are Americans, and they are consumers, and they are struggling. And while the President says, ‘Zero for the federal employees,’ if you're not a federal employee, he's saying 'Zero' to you as well. How is he saying that? He’s saying, ‘I don't care what inflation is. I don't care [that] costs are going up. I'm going to keep this war going.’ A war of choice. I'm making some signs up, it's going to be at number of gas stations in my district that’s going to say, ‘Pay Trump's War Tax Here.’ "I was the sponsor of the Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act. It passed in 2010 or thereabouts – I think it was 2010, a couple of decades ago – and what that bill said [was], ‘We're going to pay somebody in the federal government who does a job that is done in the private sector, comparable.’ Why do [we] want to pay them more comparable? Because we want to compete, so that when DOGE wipes out a couple hundred thousand positions and then, by the way, hires back because, 'Oh, we needed those people,' and you need to hire competent, capable people who have the skills to do the jobs that Americans need them [done] and their families. That's why we're here. That's why we're saying, ‘Yes, the sergeant over at the Pentagon who is sitting there at the computer and doing a job needs to be compensated in a fair and effective way. But by the way, the person sitting next to that sergeant in a civilian guard, not in the military, who is doing exactly the same thing, exactly the same thing, ought to be comparably compensated.' This president said, ‘Zero, Mack. You're on your own. Take a hike. I don't care that you're having problems getting food. I don't care that you're having problems paying $6 a gallon if you had a diesel vehicle, or $4.50 if you got a gasoline vehicle.’ And then you have to make a choice between that and your rent, between that and your groceries, between that and your medical costs. ‘I don't care because I made $2.2 billion, so why do I care? And my son had his wedding paid for.' Although he's worth not a billion, perhaps, but hundreds of millions of dollars himself. His cost of living, of course, is the interest he gets every day, which exceeds what that sergeant makes in a year. So, he apparently doesn't care. "So, I’m pleased to join my friend, Congressman Walkinshaw, and my friend, Senator Van Hollen. The civilian pay freeze announced by the Administration is just the latest example of how he traumatized Americans – not just federal employees, Americans – why he doesn't care about your costs, why he hasn't offered a policy to help them. They’re trying to create tension and an artificial divide between civilian [employees] and those who wear a uniform. I have been for comparability since I came to the Congress of the United States 45 years ago, and we've been largely successful – not completely, there were a lot of years where we took a pass, some because things were tough for everybody. And by the way, the Pay Comparability Act says, ‘Civilian employees in the federal government cannot get a raise if the private sector economic cost (inaudible). That’s what the law says. And, Mr. Walkinshaw, it's about 3.2- 3.3% and going up, and inflation is outstripping – even in the private sector [salary increases]. "So, I'm very hopeful that our Members of Congress – we’ll see what the election results [are], we’re hopeful. The fact of that is, most Members of Congress are dispersed, two weeks before we were supposed to. Somehow, we thought our work was done, while people are struggling, while gas prices are spiraling, while health care costs and housing costs are driving people to distraction, and worse. I want to thank Representative Walkinshaw, I want to thank you Senator Van Hollen, I want all of you for supporting this effort. I want to thank the federal employee unions who have been so active. I congratulate all of them for keeping the faith for the American people and making sure that people who work for the government are still able to afford to work for the government. I’m sure I have some other great remarks, but I'm afraid I’ve probably talked too long. But we need all of you who are watching, just say to your representatives, say to the Congress of the United States, say to the President of the United States, ‘We value the people for helping us at the federal, state and local level and we need to make sure they don't fall through the floorboards,’ because that’s what’s happening. With the rising costs and the lack of affordable in the American economy, the average working man and woman cannot make $2.2 billion a year. I now yield to my dear friend, and our senior senator from Maryland, who has been, himself, a very strong, consistent, and faithful voice on behalf of federal employees. Of course, being faithful to our federal employees is being faithful to our country, to our state, and to our people. Senator Van Hollen." Issues : Federal Employees