The likelihood of a 2027 pay freeze for civilian federal employees continued after the House Appropriations Committee approved a financial services and general government spending bill on Wednesday that makes no mention of a pay increase in January.
The spending bill was approved on party lines, and is in alignment with the White House’s lack of mention of a pay raise in it’s 2027 budget proposal earlier this month.
The White House did propose a 5-7% pay raise in 2027 for uniformed members of the military.
During the markup of the bill, Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD) proposed an amendment for a 3.1% federal pay raise in 2027, however the amendment failed in a vote of 28-32 on party lines.
Most federal employees received a 1% across-the-board pay raise for 2026 — the smallest pay increase they have received since 2021. Federal law enforcement personnel received a 3.8% increase in 2026.
The process to determine a pay raise or freeze for 2027 is not over. The process still includes a vote by the full House, and a similar process in the Senate. The final determination is made late in the year.
