Bipartisan Lawmakers Urge Congress to Block Trump’s Civilian Pay Freeze
Over 100 members of Congress have asked House and Senate leaders to reject President Trump’s plan to freeze civilian federal salaries and to approve at least a 3.8% raise for all federal workers.
More than a hundred bipartisan lawmakers have urged congressional leadership to overturn President Trump’s proposal to keep civilian federal pay at 2026 levels next year. In a letter addressed to Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate leaders Hakeem Jeffries, John Thune and Chuck Schumer, they called for at minimum a uniform 3.8% raise for all civilian employees, matching the increase granted to federal law-enforcement officers.
The letter notes that inflation remains above 3%, making a freeze effectively a salary reduction, and points to the administration’s separate 5-7% pay hikes for military personnel as further evidence that raises are needed across the board. Lawmakers warn the freeze could deepen staffing shortages in critical agencies, including the Veterans Affairs Department, Social Security Administration and Food and Drug Administration.
They recall Congress’s 2019 action that overrode a similar freeze during a government shutdown, delivering a 1.9% retroactive raise. With a continuing resolution keeping the government funded only through December, any legislative move is unlikely before the upcoming midterm elections.
Why it matters
A federal pay freeze could shrink the civilian workforce and impair essential government services.
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