White House budget proposal silent on civilian federal pay raise
Federal News Network • • general
Key Points:
- The Trump administration's 2027 budget request excludes a pay raise for most civilian federal employees, signaling a likely salary freeze unless Congress intervenes, while proposing a 5-7% pay increase for military personnel.
- The budget emphasizes a significant increase in defense spending to $1.5 trillion, a 42% rise over 2026 levels, contrasted with a 10% cut in non-defense spending for civilian agencies.
- The administration continues its effort to downsize the federal workforce, citing a historic reduction of approximately 300,000 federal employees in 2025 and promoting merit-based hiring and elimination of non-essential jobs.
- Democrats have criticized the proposed civilian pay freeze, advocating for a 4.1% raise through the FAIR Act, and have condemned the administration's approach as detrimental to federal employees.
- The budget reflects ongoing challenges in Congress over current-year funding, including a partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security, with Trump pledging to pay DHS employees despite the stalemate.
