Warner, Colleagues Urge Congressional Leaders to Reject Trump’s Proposed Federal Pay Freeze

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and a coalition of 110 bipartisan, bicameral lawmakers urged congressional leaders to reject the Trump administration’s proposed federal employee pay freeze and deliver a meaningful pay increase in 2027. The lawmakers urged Congress to enact the 4.1 percent increase provided under the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act , or FAIR Act, which would help federal pay keep pace with rising costs after two straight years of falling behind inflation. At a minimum, they wrote, civilian federal employees should receive the same 3.8 percent increase the Trump administration has proposed for federal law enforcement personnel. Federal employees received a 1 percent raise this year, well short of the 3.4 percent rise in consumer prices over the past 12 months . The lawmakers wrote, “These challenges have come on top of just a 2 percent pay raise in 2025 and a 1 percent raise in 2026. Asking these public servants to now accept a pay freeze as the cost of living continues to rise amounts to an effective pay cut.” The lawmakers continued, “The Administration’s own proposal on federal pay increases demonstrates why such an increase is necessary. President Trump has proposed that federal law enforcement personnel receive a 3.8 percent pay increase to improve recruitment and retention, and has proposed a 5-7 percent pay increase for service members given the critical support they provide our nation. The same rationale applies to all federal workers.” “The federal government must recruit and retain skilled employees to care for our veterans, protect our national security, inspect our food and medicine, conduct lifesaving research, process benefits, secure federal networks, and perform countless other critical functions,” the lawmakers added. The letter, signed by 12 senators and 98 House members, urges congressional leaders to include the increase in Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations legislation. The full letter is available here and below. Dear Leader Thune, Speaker Johnson, Leader Schumer, and Leader Jeffries, We write to urge you to reject the Trump Administration’s proposed pay freeze and work to provide federal employees with a meaningful pay increase in 2027 that keeps pace with the rising cost of living. Federal employees have endured an extraordinarily difficult period marked by government shutdowns and repeated efforts to strip away longstanding civil service protections, all while continuing to deliver the benefits and services Americans rely on every day. These challenges have come on top of just a 2 percent pay raise in 2025 and a 1 percent raise in 2026. Asking these public servants to now accept a pay freeze as the cost of living continues to rise amounts to an effective pay cut. The Administration’s own proposal on federal pay increases demonstrates why such an increase is necessary. President Trump has proposed that federal law enforcement personnel receive a 3.8 percent pay increase to improve recruitment and retention, and has proposed a 5-7 percent pay increase for service members given the critical support they provide our nation. The same rationale applies to all federal workers. The federal government must recruit and retain skilled employees to care for our veterans, protect our national security, inspect our food and medicine, conduct lifesaving research, process benefits, secure federal networks, and perform countless other critical functions. If competitive compensation is necessary to recruit and retain qualified federal law enforcement officers, it is also necessary to recruit and retain qualified employees throughout the federal government. Without a meaningful pay raise, we risk further exacerbating staffing challenges at critical agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, whose employees conduct lifesaving medical research, monitor disease outbreaks, administer critical health programs, and protect the safety of our food and medicines. HHS has already lost thousands of employees, including significant reductions at the FDA, reducing the agency’s capacity to conduct inspections essential to Americans’ wellbeing. At a time when families are seeing repeated food recalls and outbreaks, further weakening the federal workforce responsible for inspecting facilities and identifying contamination could put even greater strain on our food-safety system. A pay cut could similarly exacerbate staffing challenges across other mission-critical agencies. At the Social Security Administration, further workforce losses could mean longer waits for seniors, people with disabilities, and families seeking benefits. And at agencies responsible for our national security, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a pay freeze could make it even harder to recruit and retain the highly skilled cybersecurity professionals needed to protect federal networks and critical infrastructure. That is especially concerning as cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, including our energy, water, transportation, and communications systems, continue to grow more frequent and sophisticated. At a minimum, federal civilian employees should receive the same 3.8 percent pay increase the Administration has proposed for federal law enforcement. We strongly believe, however, that Congress should go further and provide the 4.1 percent increase called for in the FAIR Act, which would help federal pay keep pace with rising costs while ensuring the government can continue to attract and retain the workforce necessary to serve the American people. There’s precedent for Congress taking action when a President fails to ensure federal employee pay keeps pace with the cost of living. In 2019, after President Trump initially froze federal employee pay, Congress rejected the freeze and enacted a pay increase. Congress should once again exercise its authority to ensure federal employees receive a fair and meaningful adjustment to their pay in 2027. We therefore urge you to include a federal employee pay increase of no less than 3.8 percent, and preferably the 4.1 percent provided under the FAIR Act, in Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations legislation. ###