Final Six Funding Bills Passed

Six months into the fiscal year, Congress has finally passed the final funding package for FY 2024, providing funding for many NTEU agencies including Treasury, IRS, CBP, FLETC, DoD, HHS, FEC, FCC, SEC, and SSA. 

 

While they did not officially pass the bill before the deadline, OMB did not initiate shutdown procedures and employees should not be impacted. 

 

Now that FY 2024 funding is complete, Congress will begin working on FY 2025 funding, and you can rest assured that NTEU will continue to fight for a fair pay raise next year and additional funding and staffing for NTEU-represented agencies, so you have the resources you need to do your jobs.   

                                                 

Senate Passes Partial Funding Package to Avoid a Partial Government Shutdown

Six months into Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, Congress has finally passed legislation to provide funding until the end of September for agencies and programs under the following appropriations bills: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies.

Attention now turns to the remaining six bills which are still being negotiated by congressional leaders. Funding for agencies and programs under those bills are set to expire on March 22.

Although a partial government shutdown was averted this past week, we must all remain engaged to ensure Congress acts in time and provides the remaining agencies with the funding necessary to meet their missions. We will keep you updated on any developments.

Update on Several Government Funding Bills  

Last week, congressional leaders released the text for a legislative package that includes six of the 12 annual appropriations bills: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. The funding levels in the bill are consistent with the debt limit deal reached last year and avoids the deep funding cuts proposed by the House Republicans.

The funding agreement contains a significant win for NTEU’s wildland firefighters. Passage of this legislation would mean a continuation of the increased pay authority provided under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will give Congress more time to permanently address wildland firefighter pay without sending current firefighters over the “pay cliff.”  

In addition to funding wildland firefighter pay, the legislation would fund the Department of Interior at $14.8 billion, with the National Park Service receiving $3.3 billion and the Bureau of Land Management seeing $1.4 billion. These figures would protect existing staffing levels to ensure Interior agencies have the personnel they need to fulfill their agency's missions.

The funding measure continues to invest in NTEU-represented agencies by providing over $50 billion in total funding for the Department of Energy, $9.1 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, and $137 million for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

NTEU is pleased that this bill continues the bipartisan practice of allowing PTO to keep all of its fee collections to fund the agency. We are also pleased for USDA that it provides adequate resources and does not include proposals to limit efforts for equal employment opportunities or relocate personnel. 

NTEU is concerned with the funding levels for FDA and CFTC which are inadequate for the important missions of these agencies. The bill splits the difference between President Biden’s budget, which asked for needed increases in funding for FDA and CFTC, and the House Republican demand that these agencies have their funding cut even if that caused RIFs and furloughs. The bill would freeze but not cut CFTC funding while providing FDA with only a $20 million increase.

Yesterday, the House passed the legislative package that includes funding for the remainder of FY 2024 for six of the 12 annual appropriations bills including: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. Overall, the funding levels in the bill are consistent with those agreed upon in the debt limit deal last year.

Government funding is set to expire Friday night, March 8, for several NTEU agencies unless Congress passes this funding package.  The Senate is expected to vote on the bill before midnight Friday night, but procedural issues could delay Senate action. Congressional leaders are still negotiating funding in the remaining six funding bills, which are set to expire on
March 22.

While it appears that Congress is on track to avoid a partial government shutdown this week, we must all remain engaged to ensure Congress acts in time and provides agencies with the funding necessary to meet their missions.  We will keep you updated on any developments.   

Women’s History Month 2024

NTEU joins the nation in commemorating Women’s History Month. This year we are celebrating the women who fought through adversity for the right to vote

Congress Approves Short-term Funding; No Shutdown This Weekend

The House and Senate voted Thursday to give Congress a few more days to work on full-year funding for the remainder of the 2024 fiscal year, which avoids a partial government shutdown that could have started Friday night.

Although the new continuing resolution has tight deadlines of March 8 and March 22, congressional negotiators said they have made significant progress on the individual FY 2024 appropriation bills.

After a meeting with President Biden on Tuesday, congressional leaders reached a deal on the Agriculture-FDA, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA, Transportation-HUD, Interior-Environment, and Commerce-Justice-Science appropriation bills, which they plan to pass before the March 8 deadline. Congress would then have until March 22 to reach a deal on the remaining six bills and finally complete fiscal year 2024 funding. Importantly, passing all 12 bills would avoid an automatic 1 percent across-the-board cut.

As lawmakers scramble to finish the FY 2024 appropriation bills, NTEU will continue to fight for agency funding levels that give employees the resources they need.

Consumers’ CHECKBOOK Magazine

Consumers’ Checkbook is a nonprofit that rates local service providers for quality and price in seven metropolitan markets. Consumers’ Checkbook is published in the greater metropolitan areas of Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC. NTEU members can purchase a one-year digital subscription for the low price of only $18, a 35% savings off the regular price.

The subscription includes:

  • Immediate online access to all Checkbook ratings and advice, with ratings updated regularly on auto repair shops, plumbers, veterinarians, dentists, carpet cleaners, roofers, doctors, and dozens of other types of services.

  • Immediate online access to Checkbook’s customer survey, where you can share your experiences with local service providers.

  • Comprehensive semiannual print magazine issues, plus newsletter updates in between each issue. (Print subscriptions only.)

The way for NTEU members to take advantage of this benefit is to log in to the NTEU website and visit the Benefits area. Consumers’ CHECKBOOK is listed under the “Shopping and Other Discounts” section. The link to the benefit is embedded in the language “Get this discount.” We hope members where Consumers’ CHECKBOOK magazine is published will take advantage of this valuable benefit to help them become better consumers.

Update on Government Funding

On Friday, January 19, 2024, funding for USDA, FDA, DOE, and NRC is set to expire while funding for the remaining NTEU-represented agencies expires two weeks later on February 2, 2024. Despite the announcement of a top-line funding agreement for FY 2024 that is consistent with the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) passed last year that avoids the deep funding cuts proposed by the House, there is still no agreement on funding levels for the 12 appropriations bills and the agencies and programs funded by them. 

While the leaders announced a top-line deal, some hardline House Republicans have blasted the deal and urged Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to abandon it. Representative Ralph Norman (R-SC) said that he wants to shut down the government unless President Biden closes the border, a position that several other House Republicans are espousing. Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) said that he wants a year-long CR, which, under the FRA, would lead to big cuts in domestic programs while freezing the Pentagon budget. But republican defense hawks have said that they would oppose a year-long CR since it would freeze defense spending. Following closed-door meetings, several members of Congress reported that the Speaker was open to walking away from the deal, but the Speaker has since said that he made no commitment to do so. 

Although Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced late last year that he will not pass another short-term spending bill, it is now expected that a short-term Continuing Resolution is necessary to finalize the funding allocations.   

On Tuesday night, the Senate voted on cloture for the legislative vehicle for a CR that would continue the “laddered” CR approach and extend funding until March 1 and March 8. Today, the Senate passed a CR that continues the “laddered” CR approach and extends those funding deadlines until March 1 and March 8. The House is scheduled to vote on the bill later today.

This latest CR will allow negotiations to continue over funding levels for the agencies and programs funded by the 12 appropriations bills now that a top-line funding agreement for FY 2024 has been reached. That agreement is consistent with the Fiscal Responsibility Act passed last year and avoids the deep funding cuts proposed by the House. However, negotiations may remain difficult as some hardline House Republicans have blasted the top-line funding deal and have pushed for greater funding cuts and controversial policy riders.

Today, NTEU Chapter 280 joins the nation in honoring the life, legacy, and service of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to the pursuit justice and equality.

Top Line Funding Agreement for FY 2024 Announced by Congressional Leaders

This week, congressional leaders announced that they reached an agreement on a top line spending amount for FY 2024 that is in line with the funding levels of the Fiscal Responsibility Act agreed to last year. However, additional work is needed to finalize the agreement on the specifics for each agency and programs and the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund agencies at current FY 2023 levels expires next Friday, January 19, 2024, for USDA, FDA, DOE, and NRC. The CR for the remaining NTEU-represented agencies expires on February 2, 2024. While we are glad that an agreement was reached that avoided the drastic spending cuts proposed in the various House appropriations bills, we still need Congress to act quickly to avoid a shutdown. NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald sent a letter to congressional leaders yesterday urging quick action to pass a full-year funding agreement that adequately funds agencies so that they can continue to deliver critical services to the American people.

OPM’s Annual Report to Congress on the Status of Telework in Federal Government for Fiscal Year 2022

Recently, OPM published its Annual Report to Congress on the Status of Telework in the Federal Government for fiscal year 2022. The timeframe for the report coincides with the beginning and implementation of re-entry plan after the end of the Pandemic but precedes the OMB Memo M-23-15, that called to increase “meaningful in-person work” at EPA and other agencies. The report found that telework continues to provide flexibilities for better employee engagement and retention in addition to saving federal agencies on costs, including real estate and energy. OPM Director Kiran Ahuja acknowledged that the snapshot of telework as represented by the data in the report may not be current, given that COVID-19 is no longer is the driver for telework as well as the shift in the last year toward more in-person work. Director Ahuja said, “To support this work, OPM has been engaging with agencies to improve the quality of government-wide and agency-specific telework data. OPM anticipates that future reports will reflect these improvements.”

During fiscal year 2022, Federal agencies reported that 46% of all federal workers participated in some form of telework. The report noted that the number of employees eligible to telework in fiscal year 2022 rose to 52%, up from 50% last year. However, the report also found that 87% of telework-eligible employees did telework in fiscal year 2022, which was down from 94% last year. Based on data from OPM’s 2022 Federal Employee Viewpoints Survey, it was determined that telework enhanced an employees’ engagement and was positively correlated with an increased desire to remain at the agency, instead of seeking outside employment or retirement. In the report, employees teleworking at least three days per pay period scored a 77.1 out of 100 on the survey’s Employee Engagement Index. Employees who did not telework that frequently scored only a 58.5 (with the exception of those who reported to prefer in-person work and choose not to telework [73.2]).

EPA Alumni Association 2024 Academy Sessions

Come join the EPA Alumni Association’s Academy for several fun and energizing discussions this year.

 

On Tuesday, January 16th from 3-4 pm Eastern join for a discussion on ending combustion in transportation.

 

Transportation is the largest source of both greenhouse gas emissions and emissions that cause smog and soot pollution. One proposed solution is to electrify our cars and trucks. At the next Academy session, the discussion will dive into the recent efforts to electrify our transportation system, the cutting-edge work happening in California, and the barriers that still need to be addressed. Panelists for the discussion include Paul Cort of Earthjustice (a fellow EPA Alum) and Sydney Vergis of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and they will also discuss the partnerships that are helping craft this approach!

 

PLEASE REGISTER

 

On Wednesday, January 31st at 4 pm Eastern join Dr. Dave Mooney for addressing climate change with advances in renewable resources.

 

Dr. Dave Mooney of DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will for the second Academy session of 2024. NREL’s 3000+ professionals are engaged in cutting edge research in such areas as biofuels, photovoltaics, and wind energy. Dr. Mooney will fill us in on how they prioritize their research and their current hot issues.

 

PLEASE REGISTER

 

On Thursday, February 29th at 4 pm Eastern, join the Academy for a panel discussion on EPA alumni partnering with citizen leaders to protect their communities.

 

The Environmental Protection Network has been connecting EPA Alumni with disadvantaged communities who have requested assistance. The panel will include the EPA Alumni and a member of the community who are working together on the two projects. The projects include the Tar Creek Superfund site and a rural water project in Washington State.

PLEASE REGISTER

NPS Announces 2024 Free Entrance Days

It’s never too early to plan a trip to a national park. 

To help you get started, the National Park Service announced six days next year when entrance fees will be waived at all national parks:

Entrance fee waivers on fee-free days do not cover amenity or user fees for activities such as camping, boat launches, transportation, or special tours. 

NPS employees welcomed nearly 312 million visitors to 400 parks nationwide last year. NTEU is proud to represent dedicated NPS employees who take care of treasured sites around the country.

Learn more and plan your visit here.

2024 Pay Tables Released: Federal Pay Raise Highest in 43 Years

It’s official. Federal employees will receive an average 5.2 percent pay increase next year, the highest raise since Jimmy Carter was president 43 years ago.

President Biden issued an executive order today implementing an average 4.7 percent across-the-board raise and an average 0.5 percent increase in locality pay.

You can find the Office of Personnel Management’s new pay tables incorporating the pay raise at every level of the General Schedule and for each locality pay area. The pay raise goes into effect the first full pay period of the new year. As 2023 has an extra (27th) pay period that runs into the 2024 calendar year, these increases will be reflected on the paycheck for the pay period beginning on January 14th, which will be paid out in early February for those on a biweekly pay schedule.

NTEU thanks President Biden for supporting the federal workforce with this well-deserved pay raise.

Our fight has already begun for a fair 2025 pay raise to help address rising costs and the growing gap in federal salaries as compared to the private sector, which a recent report by the Federal Salary Council showed private sector salaries were outpacing federal salaries by 27.54%.

Click on the image below for the final DC area pay increase for 2024.

Mileage Reimbursement Rate Increases for 2024

The Internal Revenue Service has increased the reimbursement rate for 2024 to 67 cents, up 1.5 cents from 2023, when using a personal vehicle for business purposes. The General Services Administration, which sets the rate for the federal workforce, tracks the IRS rate for private sector employees.

The new rate applies to gas, diesel, electric and hybrid vehicles.

Each year, NTEU monitors reimbursement rates on behalf of the tens of thousands of federal employees who use their private vehicles in their work and advocates for increases when warranted.

Flexible Spending Account Limits Will Increase in 2024

The Internal Revenue Service announced that the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contribution limit will increase from $3,050 to $3,200 in 2024.

 

This program allows federal employees to set aside an annual pre-tax amount they anticipate spending for out-of-pocket health, dental and vision expenses. FSAs can be used to purchase a wide range of items—including masks, hand sanitizing wipes and cold season essentials like pain relievers, cold and flu medicine and cough drops. For a list of eligible items, visit https://www.fsafeds.com/support/eligibleexpenses.

 

Federal Benefits Open Season is the one time of year employees can opt in to make pre-tax contributions to their health care and dependent care FSAs.

 

NTEU members can learn more about FSAs and get expert help choosing a health care plan by visiting Consumers’ Checkbook Online Guide. Members get free access to this valuable tool throughout the open season, which runs through December 11.

FEEA is Now Accepting 2024 Scholarship Applications

Federal employees and their family members can now apply for a scholarship from the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA).

 

Now through March 14, current civilian federal and postal employees with at least three years of service can apply for scholarship awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. Spouses and children of federal employees may also apply.

 

Since 1986, FEEA has given over 11,000 merit-based scholarships to federal employees, their spouses, children, and grandchildren.

 

NTEU is a founding member of FEEA and is proud to support this charity dedicated solely to serving federal workers and their families.

 

Get scholarship instructions and apply today.

Update on Government Funding for Fiscal Year 2024

The federal government will not shutdown this weekend after the Senate and House approved legislation that extends current levels of agency funding for at least nine more weeks.

 

President Biden is expected to sign the new continuing resolution into law before funding expires Friday night.

 

After the House passed the bill with strong bipartisan support Tuesday evening, the Senate followed quickly on Wednesday, assuring federal employees that agencies will remain open throughout the holiday season and into early 2024. However, the temporary funding bill splits federal agencies into two groups with two different expiration dates, which is unusual and means federal employees will face more funding deadlines in January and February.

 

The “laddered” CR keeps funding at current levels until January 19, 2024, for agencies and programs funded by the Agriculture, Energy and Water, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD appropriations bills. The NTEU-represented agencies facing the January 19deadline are USDA, FDA, DOE, and NRC.  Agencies and programs funded by the remaining bills—Defense, Homeland Security, State and Foreign Affairs, Legislative Branch, Financial Services and General Government, Interior, Labor-HHS, and Commerce, Justice, Science—would see their funding extended at current levels until February 2, 2024. 

 

Although we are pleased that a shutdown was averted once again, there is concern that the “laddered” CR approach will increase the chances for at least a partial shutdown to occur next year. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said yesterday that he will not pass another short-term spending bill and House Republicans continue to push for significant cuts to agency funding levels and controversial policy riders, increasing the likelihood of at least a partial shutdown when we reach these next deadlines.

NTEU will continue to advocate against a shutdown and press for adequate funding for our agencies in a final funding agreement. 

Online Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees and Annuitants for NTEU Members

This is a reminder that NTEU members have access to the Consumers’ Checkbook’s online Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees and Annuitants by visiting www.nteu.org during FEHB open season (November 13 – December 11, 2023). You can find the link in two places on the website—under the “Benefits” tab in either the “Shopping and Other Discounts” section or the “Insurance” section. The links are imbedded within the language that will show as blue writing in the paragraph under Consumers’ Checkbook. All NTEU members who currently or are planning to participate in Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) plans or the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) will find this online tool useful when making decisions regarding maintaining or changing health and dental insurance plans.

This online guide is an innovative way to obtain reliable, useful information about the many health plans available under the FEHB and make fast, easy, personalized plan comparisons. The guide compares and ranks plans based on total costs including account premiums and estimated out-of-pocket costs (e.g., deductibles, co-payments, and prescription drugs); and on the yearly maximum that an enrollee could possibly have to payout-of-pocket. The guide will also offer comparisons of the FEDVIP dental and vision plans available to federal employees. The site has been praised for its ease of use. Members will be able to compare plan costs, review quality ratings, consider plan features, and gauge plan flexibility on issues like choice of doctors and other factors.

NTEU recognizes the achievements and contributions of Native Americans.