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DC area Democrats urge congressional leaders to take up Senate’s federal pay raise

Federal News Radio

The president’s planned pay freeze for civilian federal employees next year is earning more criticism from some members Congress.

House Democrats in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia said they’re rejecting the president’s plans to cancel a statutorily-set 2.1 percent pay raise for civilian employees in 2019. They’re urging congressional leadership to at least take on the Senate’s proposed 1.9 percent pay raise next year.

A delegation of Democrats from the Washington metropolitan area has written to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

“It is beyond cynical that the president would cite economic and fiscal concerns to justify his decision to cancel a pay adjustment for middle class workers while he tweets constantly about economic gains and touts a tax bill that exploded the deficit by $1.5 trillion.” the delegation said in Wednesday’s letter to congressional leaders.

The delegation includes House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), along with Maryland Democratic Reps. Anthony Brown, John Delaney, Jamie Raskin and John Sarbanes, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Virginia Reps. Don Beyer and Gerry Connolly.