Lawmakers Seek Freeze on Promotions, Awards, Too

Federal employees at this point may be accustomed to attacks on their pay and benefits, but that doesn't mean there will be a break anytime soon.

President Obama in November announced a two-year pay freeze for all federal civilians, a provision supported in his fiscal 2012 budget proposal released on Monday. But Rep. Todd Rokita, R-Ind., and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., are looking to further that freeze by denying federal employees any pay related to promotions, step increases or performance awards. Both have offered the provision as amendments to the spending bill currently being debated in the House.

"I fear members of Congress are bowing to political pressure stemming from the spread of misinformation relating to both the composition of the federal workforce and the impact instituting a freeze will have on deficit reduction efforts," wrote Federal Managers Association National President Patricia Niehaus in a letter sent to lawmakers on Wednesday. "Headlines painting feds as overpaid, underqualified and completely insulated from the recession score points through the promotion of falsehoods based on biased data manipulation. To see lawmakers latch onto these reports as 'fact' is truly disheartening."

Lawmakers also are taking a stand against the use of official government time for union activities, citing a waste of taxpayer money on hours used for collective bargaining or arbitration of grievances. Rokita and Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga. have introduced amendments banning these activities during work hours.