ALEXANDRIA, Va. (December 28, 2018) –In response to the president's implementation of a pay freeze for all federal employees, NARFE National President Ken Thomas issued the following statement:

“As hundreds of thousands of federal employees are furloughed and treated as political pawns in the gamesmanship of the partial government shutdown, President Trump amplified his disdain for their public service by ordering a pay freeze for the millions of federal workers in all agencies.

“Both the shutdown and the pay freeze impose real economic costs on federal employees and our country. Both undermine the effectiveness of the work our government does - from ensuring the national defense and homeland security to safeguarding taxpayer dollars from fraud - by damaging its ability to recruit and retain a highly qualified and talented workforce. Refusing to provide a nominal raise for our nation’s hardworking federal employees amid a partial government shutdown shows clear contempt for those who carry out public service.”