On December 17, 2019, the House approved two appropriations bills to keep the government open, fund agencies for fiscal year (FY) 2020 and provide federal employees with a pay raise.

The bipartisan legislation provides for an average 3.1 percent pay increase (a 2.6 percent across-the-board pay increase and 0.5 percent increase for locality pay rates), which is on par with members of the military. This is a welcome departure from the administration's initial call for a pay freeze and later a 2.6 percent across-the board increase.