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President Donald Trump is frustrated with Congress' absolute refusal to entertain any notion of fiscal responsibility, so he's taking action himself. On Thursday, the president announced he would cancel a scheduled 2.1 percent across-the-board pay raise for federal workers.
"In light of our Nation's fiscal situation, Federal employee pay must be performance-based, and aligned strategically toward recruiting, retaining, and rewarding high-performing Federal employees and those with critical skill sets," Trump wrote in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc.
Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., are attacking Trump for "cutting pay," because only in Washington D.C. is not giving the government a raise a pay cut.
.@realDonaldTrump spends millions of taxpayer $ playing golf at his own resorts & hands out over a trillion in tax… https://t.co/abg3kommav— Elizabeth Warren (@Elizabeth Warren)1535719677.0
To the hard-working federal employees Trump just screwed by cutting pay — the folks who run our parks, protect our… https://t.co/gBCMGvoVcc— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@Rep. Eric Swalwell)1535649877.0
After ballooning spending & the deficit with a $1.5-trillion tax cut bill for corporations and the well connected,… https://t.co/HDFkXxcn9v— MichelleLujanGrisham (@MichelleLujanGrisham)1535734328.0
.@realDonaldTrump's proposal to pay for his huge tax cut by slashing pay for federal workers is jaw-dropping hypocr… https://t.co/1M2SFsVCVR— Senator Mazie Hirono (@Senator Mazie Hirono)1535722353.0
Unacceptable that after signing a GOP tax bill that gave away tens of billions in corporate tax cuts & added $1 tri… https://t.co/cYf2OGuL0k— Senator Chris Coons (@Senator Chris Coons)1535668740.0
Trump says he has the authority to cancel raises for federal workers when there is "national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare." Congress, however, can override the decision in spending legislation, if it so chooses. And it's likely Congress will override Trump. Lawmakers have already demonstrated a commitment to wildly increasing federal spending, ignoring the $21 trillion national debt.
Why stop now?
