Trump opposes salary rise for federal employees
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday voiced his opposition to any salary rise for federal employees, prompting a bipartisan backlash.
"I have determined that for 2019, both across-the-board pay increases and locality pay increases will be set at zero," Trump said in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Trump said the planned locality pay increase of 25.7 percent and across the board pay increase of 2.1 percent could not be sustained by Federal budgets.
The locality pay increase alone would cost 25 billion U.S. dollars, he said.
Trump said he is exercising power to stall pay rises in cases of "national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare."
The move has sparked a backlash from both Democratic and Republican Congress members, criticizing Trump for blocking pay raise for civilian employees.
Republican Representative Barbara Comstock of Virginia said the government should support federal workers.
"Dedicated work is also done by our civilian employees at other national security agencies," she said.
Analysts believed that Congress may grant the pay raise regardless of Trump's advice.
The Senate Appropriations Committee has included a 1.9 percent pay raise in its spending plan for 2019, it will consult with the House to produce a final version in the coming weeks.
Your Comment
Name E-mailRelated News
-
-
Trump denies wrongdoing, says Cohen is making up stories
President Donald Trump dug in to his denials of wrongdoing as his White House struggled to manage the fallout from allegations that he orchestrated a campaign cover-up to buy the silence of two women who say they had affairs with him.
-
-
Trump knocks Michael Cohen in a tweet
President Donald Trump says he wouldn't recommend his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.
-
-
Trump plan rolls back Obama's coal emissions standards
The Trump administration is set to roll back the centerpiece of President Barack Obama's efforts to slow global warming, the Clean Power Plan that restricts greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants.
-
-
Trump says "most likely" to meet with DPRK's Kim again: report
U.S. President Donald Trump told the Reuters news agency at the White House on Monday that he would "most likely" meet with DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un for a second time.
-
-
Hundreds of US newspapers hit back at Trump, defend free press
US newspapers big and small hit back Thursday at Donald Trump's attacks on the news media with a coordinated campaign of editorials, triggering a fresh tirade from the president on Twitter.