Federal Managers Association

Press Release

• FMA STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT'S FY27 BUDGET REQUEST - April 6, 2026

• Alexandria, VA – On Friday, April 3, President Donald Trump formally released the Administration's fiscal year 2027 (FY27) budget request. The request calls for a pay freeze for the federal workforce in 2027 and proposes significant cuts to non-defense agencies. The proposal includes a 44 percent increase to defense spending. Federal Managers Association (FMA) National President Linda S. Lentjes made the following comments on the Administration's budget plans:

  “FMA certainly shares the goal of modernizing the federal workforce and delivering effective and efficient services. Feds are taxpayers, too, so we want to eliminate waste wherever possible.

  “We are concerned with major proposed cuts to non-defense agencies our citizens rely on, including a 52 percent proposed reduction in the Environmental Protection Ageny budget. Agencies need resources and a skilled workforce to perform congressionally-mandated missions on behalf of the American people. We fear many of the drastic proposed cuts included in this budget request will simply not allow this to happen.

  “We support the 5 percent to 7 percent pay raises for the uniformed military, however we are deeply disappointed by the administration’s call for a pay freeze for federal employees in 2027. This is unfair to the federal workforce who work side-by-side with the military to provide for our national defense, process your tax returns, inspect the food we eat, and so many other critical services. Federal pay has not kept pace with inflation, feds already earn nearly 25 percent less than their private sector counterparts, and a pay freeze will only force more of the best and brightest out of federal service. FMA has endorsed the 4.1 percent raise as included in the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act (H.R. 7480 / S. 3823)) as proposed in Congress earlier this year.

  “The federal government has always strived to be a model employer, and FMA exists to advocate for that ideal with both Congress and the Administration. We know this budget request is a starting point, and we will work with all decision makers to craft a funding solution that provides the federal workforce the resources it needs to provide the services Americans count on."

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