House Appropriations Bills Threaten Funding, Telework

Republicans on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government passed their spending bill, which now moves to the full Appropriations Committee for further consideration.

Here’s what’s in the bill:

• A provision that forces federal agencies to return to pre-pandemic telework and remote work policies.

• Significant budget cuts to several NTEU-represented agencies including the Internal Revenue Service, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Securities and Exchange Commission, Treasury Department, Bureau of Fiscal Service and Federal Communications Commission.

• A provision prohibiting the implementation of President Biden’s executive orders related to diversity, equity and inclusion in the federal workplace, setting back efforts to advance equal opportunity.

There is at least one good thing about the bill: Since it was silent on a pay raise, it defers to the president’s 5.2 percent pay increase. NTEU will continue to work with Congress and the administration in support of the FAIR Act, which provides an average 8.7 percent increase.

The full House Appropriations Committee passed a fiscal year 2024 funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security last week.

While the bill includes funding to hire 150 Customs and Border Protection officers to serve at the southwest border ports of entry, that falls drastically short of what the agency needs.

The bill continues the investment in CBP workforce care by funding on-site clinicians, sustainment of all family support care, CBP support networks, expansion of employee well-being centers, and deployment of Field Resilience teams consisting of Operational Psychologists and Field Resilience Specialists.

NTEU will continue to fight for adequate funding to properly staff federal agencies while opposing policies that would harm federal employees and their families.