Dem lawmakers propose 4.1% raise for feds in 2027

Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., speaks at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 14, 2026. Walkinshaw and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, have cosponsored this year's version of the FAIR Act, seeking a pay raise for the federal workforce. Nathan Posner / Anadolu / Getty Images

Democrats in both chambers of Congress on Tuesday reintroduced legislation that would provide civilian federal employees with a 4.1% average pay increase in 2027.

The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act, introduced by Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, would provide federal workers with a 3.1% across-the-board increase in basic pay next year, in addition to an average 1% boost to locality pay.

Lawmakers have introduced similar legislation each year for more than a decade, albeit with slightly different raise figures, and is aimed at setting a benchmark ahead of negotiations over federal worker compensation once budget talks ...