New Draft Budget Plan Targets FERS Supplemental Payment and Contributions Towards Retirement

House and Senate members have begun meeting to produce a single budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year, so far without reaching an agreement. Both chambers have passed versions of a budget resolution—which is only a planning document and not enacted into law—calling for increasing employee contributions toward retirement and ordering savings that likely would be achieved by targeting a FERS retirement supplemental payment, government contributions toward FEHB, the rate of return on investments in the TSP G fund and reducing the workforce by attrition. The assumptions would then be translated into legislation that would be have to be presented to President Obama for signature or veto. That could be done through regular appropriations bills, a special bill called a reconciliation bill, or a combination of both. The appropriations subcommittees of the House have begun drafting their bills, with the Senate side typically lagging behind by weeks or months. The key measure to for federal workplace policies, the financial services-general government bill, so far is not on the list for action in either chamber. Meanwhile the House Armed Services Committee has started drafting the annual DoD authorization measure, which is the main vehicle for personnel policy changes there and also, in some cases, government-wide.