In a controversial move at the close of 2023, President Biden signed an executive order providing federal civilian employees with a substantial average raise exceeding five percent. This historic increase, as reported by the Washington Post, marks the largest pay raise for bureaucrats in over four decades. The move encompasses approximately 2.2 million individuals in the federal workforce, set to take effect in the initial pay period of 2024.
This generous pay raise for federal employees, significantly higher than the previous year’s increase and the highest in two decades, has stirred discontent among hardworking American taxpayers in the private sector. The private sector shoulders the cost of these wage hikes while grappling with the repercussions of surging inflation brought about by Biden’s economic policies. Under the ‘Build Back Better’ plan and the overarching ‘Bidenomics,’ the nation has witnessed a drastic spike in inflation, leading to a 40-year high and a consistent decline in real wages for over two years.
Despite the GOP’s voiced concerns about inflation’s damaging effects and the implications of Biden’s extensive spending, there was a noticeable absence of efforts in Congress to adjust or challenge Biden’s proposal for a pay raise. Typically, Congress has exercised the authority to modify the White House’s annual proposal on federal pay rates. However, in this instance, amidst internal struggles and partisan battles, lawmakers refrained from addressing or altering Biden’s plan. As a result, the recommended pay raise for federal employees went into effect without any congressional intervention.
Moreover, while federal civilian employees received this substantial raise, U.S. service members and military personnel are also poised to witness a comparable increase in their pay come January, as highlighted in the Washington Post’s report. This executive decision by the President to significantly boost federal employees’ salaries has drawn criticism for its timing, considering the ongoing economic challenges faced by American taxpayers and the private sector under the weight of inflation and economic uncertainties.
