Issue Briefs 2008
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2008 Legislative Recommendations
The government’s most valuable asset is its 1.8 million member workforce that continues to go above and beyond the call of duty to successfully achieve its mission and goals. FMA strives to maintain the world’s best workforce by promoting an environment that attracts talented, civic-minded and hardworking federal employees.
FMA's 2008 Issue Briefs can be viewed by clicking on the links provided. The briefs represent FMA's legislative agenda for the 2nd session of the 110th Congress; however,
they are certainly not all encompassing of FMA’s priorities. We have included FMA's position on each issue as well as background information. The 2008 Issue Briefs were unveiled during our 70th Annual National Convention.
- Congress should require a strong pay raise for all federal employees who meet or exceed performance standards while standing by the principle of pay parity.
- Congress should support legislation which would allow federal retirees to return to service without offset to annuity (H.R. 3579/S. 2003).
- Congress should direct OPM to extend locality pay to federal employees in Alaska and Hawaii to maintain consistency in federal employment pay policy for all federal civilian employees, as recommended in the President's fiscal year 2009 budget.
- Congress should support legislation that repeals the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) (H.R. 82/S. 206).
- Congress should pass legislation to provide equity in allowing federal retirees to pay their health insurance premiums out of pre-tax dollars as is available to active employees (H.R. 1110/S. 773).
- Congress should provide the same tax benefits to federal civilian employees serving in combat zones as those given to military personnel serving in combat zones (H.R. 1974/S. 1166).
- Congress should pass legislation to increase the federal government’s share of FEHBP premiums (H.R. 1256).
- Congress should reform the current sick leave policy for active duty federal employees enrolled in the Federal Employees Retirement System to offer some credit for sick leave time accrued during federal service.
- Congress should pass the fiscal year 2009 appropriations bills before the end of fiscal year 2008 so agencies have the funding they need to plan for the coming year.
- Congress should establish initial and ongoing mandatory management training for all supervisors across the federal government (S. 967).
- Congress should pass legislation that permanently ends the Federal Prison Industries’ (FPI) mandatory-sourcing status across the federal government (S. 705).
- Congress should provide tax-free student loan repayments to federal employees in an effort to recruit and retain a highly skilled civil service workforce (H.R. 2363/S. 1047).
- Congress should continue to scrutinize the implementation of new personnel systems at DOD and other agencies and repeal the authorized waivers of Title V should those systems prove harmful to government management and fail to protect the merit system principles.
- FMA supports Congress’ continued oversight and monitoring of agencies’ usage of new management tools in facilitating the recruitment and retention of talented employees.
- Congress should support legislation that would increase the oversight and accountability of competitive sourcing to ensure that public-private competitions represent the best use of taxpayer dollars, including examining the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76.
- Congress should continue to monitor and improve federal agency participation in telework programs in order to ensure a dynamic and flexible federal workforce (H.R. 4106/S. 1000).
- Congress should support and ensure consultative agreements between federal agencies and management organizations like FMA as defined under OPM regulations Title V CFR 251.
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