Rep. Davis Opposes President Trump's Call for a Federal Pay Freeze for 2019

Just in time for Labor Day President Trump announced his intention to deny federal workers a pay increase for 2019 claiming a “national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare” making a mockery of his own repeated assertions that the economy is the “strongest economy we’ve ever had” which is “very, very sustainable.” The hypocrisy and heartlessness of the President’s actions is all the more evident when contrasted with his $1.5 trillion tax cut which, by 2027, will channel 83% of the tax reduction to the wealthiest 1% while 70% of the middle income tax payers will see a tax increase.

The President’s pay freeze will not actually reduce the size of the budget because he intends to distribute those dollars to other purposes in the various departments which further underlines the utter lack of logic and economic good sense in the President’s declaration. Federal workers need a pay raise and they deserve a pay raise. The Senate has already voted to support a 1.9% increase and I will vote to reverse the President’s pay freeze and support a pay increase for federal workers of no less than 1.9% when it comes for a vote in the House.