Cuts to Civil Service Protections

Senate strips most retirement cuts from reconciliation, but anti-civil service provisions remain this is the title of the Government Executive Article by Erich Wagner.

“An initial draft of the Senate Republicans’ version of the budget reconciliation package does away with several provisions that would have reduced federal workers’ retirement benefits but significantly increases the burden on new hires.

On Thursday night, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee published its portion of the budget reconciliation bill, which aims to cut federal spending to partially pay for tax cuts for the wealthy and increased immigration enforcement.”

Some issues have been stripped but in their place is a more draconian iteration of the controversial plan to force future federal workers to choose between a more expensive defined benefit annuity and at-will employment, meaning they can be fired “for good cause, bad cause, or no cause at all.”  Under language released by a Senate panel, new federal workers who decline to serve as at-will employees will pay nearly 15% of their paycheck toward their pension benefit.

Senate Committee Version of Key Spending Bill Would Preserve Retirement Supplement published: June 15, 2025 By the FEDWeek Staff.

“The FERS “special retirement supplement,” targeted for a general repeal for those retiring after 2027 under the House-passed budget reconciliation bill, would be preserved in the version being drafted for a Senate vote.

A package of changes to the bill, crafted by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, makes no mention of the retirement supplement, which the House voted to end for those retiring in January 2028 or later, except for those under special retirement provisions that primarily apply to law enforcement officers, firefighters and air traffic controllers.”

In response to the U.S. Senate’s released budget reconciliation text in the proposed legislation package, NARFE National President William Shackelford released this statement.