FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2014
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards [MD-4] introduced The Federal Employee Pension Fairness Act today to repeal the unnecessary and increased contributions of federal employees to their own pensions.
Under current law, recently hired federal employees have been forced by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 to raise their contribution amount to pensions from 0.8% to 4.4%. After three years, federal workers have made mandatory contributions of well over $138 billion in order to balance the budget. This is in spite of the fact that the main pension fund, the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF), is fully funded.
“Federal employees are the backbone of our federal government and agencies. Whether protecting our borders, conducting life-saving medical research, or ensuring our food is safe to consume, public servants perform duties vital to the health, safety, and economic well-being of the American people. Despite their sacrifices and commitment to service, federal employees have experienced a three-year pay freeze, unpaid furloughs, the elimination of cost-of-living increases, and seen their own contributions to their pensions increase by over 500%.”
“As a nation it is our duty to ensure the fair treatment of our federal employees, especially during times of economic strain. Let’s stop unduly burdening our federal workers, and start asking wealthy corporations to pay their fair share. I look forward to working with others in Congress to pass this legislation and to providing relief for those whose daily labors keep our government up and running and who keep us safe.”
Congresswoman Edwards’ legislation would restore the Federal Employee Pension contribution plans to their original 0.8%, and instead close corporate tax loopholes for companies that are incorporated overseas, but managed and controlled in the United States.
Cosponsors:
Connolly (VA-11), Cummings (MD-7), Holmes Norton (DC), Kaptur (OH-9), Lynch (MA-8), Ellison (MN-5), Rangel (NY-13)
via Edwards Introduces the Federal Employee Pension Fairness Act.