(NewsGlobal.com)- President Joe Biden is all set to propose a 4.6% pay rise for federal employees and serving members of the military in March – but the figure is significantly below the 7.5% inflation rate seen in January. It means that President Joe Biden is effectively slashing the pay of federal workers and Armed Forces personnel.
It comes after the White House gave an average 2.7% pay rise to civilian federal employees in January. Biden’s decision was made possible thanks to a U.S. Code rule that allows him to raise pay if he determines it is required because of “national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare.”
The White House and Office of Management and Budget have not yet responded to comment on the plans, but it has been widely reported.
The president is also expected to announce fiscal year 2023 budget requests after he delivers his State of the Union address on March 1.
Combined with his policy of increasing the minimum wage for federal agency workers to $15, the president is trying to establish a legacy of improving worker conditions and giving people a better standard of living – but with inflation at a 40-year high, it’s hard to square that circle.
If President Joe Biden really wants to improve living conditions for average Americans, he’ll need to either increase pay across the board, or do something about rising prices of food, consumer goods, and gas.
