1.8 million federal employees won’t get expected 2.1% raise
Adding insult to his furloughed employees’ injury, President Donald Trump has ruled out pay raises for almost all federal workers in 2019.
An executive order issued late Friday froze pay at 2018 levels for 1.8 million federal workers, cancelling a 2.1% increase previously expected to take effect in January.
The order won’t affect members of the military, who are receiving a 2.6% bump that Congress passed in August.
The move, which Trump signaled in his budget proposal early this year, came in the midst of the government’s budget impasse — and “poured salt on the wounds of federal employees,” tweeted Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.).