FMA National President Craig Carter visited Washington, D.C., on July 25 and had a full day of meetings with congressional staff; House and Senate, Republican and Democrat.

He began his day with staff from the Office of Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), then met with the Staff Director for the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Government Operations and Border Management. He also met with the Staff Director for the House Oversight and Reform Committee and the office of Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA).

Did you know FERS employees who retire before the age of 62 do not receive a Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA)? We brought that up in every meeting we had on Capitol Hill, including with Sen. Padilla, the lead sponsor of the Equal COLA Act (S. 4221). We asked that he consider adding language to his base bill to make all FERS retirees eligible for a COLA. We are also in touch with Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), the lead sponsor of the Equal COLA Act in the House (H.R. 304), looking to make the Equal COLA Act even more equal.

Other topics addressed in the meetings included Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations funding for all agencies, supervisor training, and Schedule F.