Legislative Report and

PAH Update

By Julie TagenNARFE

Director of Legislation

Agenda• Legislative Issues

– Budget– What has happened so far– Lame Duck Session– The future

• PAH Update• America Counts on Us• NARFE-PAC• 2013 Legislative Conference

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Budget/National Deficit

• What has happened so far…– Simpson Bowles– “Gang of Six”– Biden Talks– Enactment of the Budget Control Act of

2011• Raised Public Debt Limit• Requires $1.2 trillion in 10-year savings• 50% from Pentagon – 50% from non-defense• Creates “Supercommittee”

• No agreement on $1.2 Trillion in savings

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Fiscal Policies Soon to Expire or to be Automatically Implemented

Created in 2001 and 2003 as temporary tax cuts; Congress passed temporary extension in 2010 given weak economy

Reduced tax rates on individual income, capital gains, dividends, and estates; limits AMT and continues tax breaks for married people

Passed without much controversy, before Tea Party

Established U.S. borrowing power

Mandated as result of failed deal in Super Committee

Used in late 1980s as mechanism to force negotiation

Budget/National Deficit

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Budget/National Deficit

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Budget/National Deficit

• SEQUESTRATION• As result of failure of Supercommittee…

– Takes effect January 2013– Congress must cut $1.2 trillion or automatic across

the board cuts take place– 50% from Pentagon; 50% from non-defense

– Could be addressed in Lame Duck session• Delay sequester by weeks to months• GRAND BARGAIN with Tax Reform• Last tax reform (1980’s) took 2 years to enact

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What has happened so

far…

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Ryan Budget

• Ryan Budget (House Budget Resolution)– $4 Trillion in cuts – no revenue increases– Federal Employees - $368 billion cuts/10 yrs

• Extend pay freeze through 2015• Employees pay 5% towards retirement• Reduces workforce by 10%

– PASSED HOUSE – 218-199– (Senate will not review b/c following

guidelines in Budget Control Act)

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Payroll Tax Holiday

• Passed in February 2012

– NEW CIVILIAN HIRES pay 2.3% of salary more towards retirement –

– 3.1% total– $15 billion in savings over 10 years

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Phased Retirement

• PASSED June 2012 as an offset to the Highway bill/Student Loan interest rate extension

• Employees can take partial pay and partial annuity (can work 20-80% of previous hours)

• Must use at least 20% of time to mentor others

• OPM currently drafting regulations

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Postal Reform• Senate passed bill

– FECA provision• Reduces worker benefits by 25-33% at

retirement age• Akaka amendment to strike or replace

with HR 2465, a NARFE-supported bi-partisan bill (failed)

– FEHBP• Defeated medigap program for postal

retirees• Removes postal workers from FEHBP

• House bill – receivership• Lame Duck (possibility)

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Retirement Backlog

• President Beaudoin testifies before Congress

• NARFE leaders meet with OPM Director Berry

• Working with Senator Warner (Virginia)

• Amendment in Senate Postal Bill• OPM has reduced back-log

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The Future

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LAME DUCK SESSIONImmense Pressure for Action in Six-Week Window

Nov 6, 2012Election Day

Dec 31, 2012 Jan 2, 2013

Nov 13, 2012Lame Duck

Session Begins

Jan 1, 2013Lame Duck Ends;

Congress Resumes

• Bush-era tax cuts expire• Emergency unemployment

benefits end• Payroll Holiday Tax ends• Alternative Minimum Tax

exemptions end

• Sequester takes effect $55B in mandatory

defense cuts $55B in mandatory

non-defense cuts

Lame Duck Session

NEXT CONGRESS

The Five Likeliest Scenarios

• Obama wins White House and GOP wins both chambers of Congress

• Combat or peace?

• Romney wins White House and GOP wins Congress

• Mandate or narrow win?

• Obama wins White House and Congress remains divided

• Déjà vu all over again?

• Obama wins White House and Dems win Congress

• The big surprise?

Scenario 3: GOP President Scenario 4: GOP Sweep Scenario 5: Dem Sweep

• Romney wins White House and Congress remains divided

• The newcomer check-mated?

NARFE ON THE HILL

• 100 “in-person” meetings• Submitted 25 letters expressing

NARFE views• Testified 4 times before Congress

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Protect America’s Heartbeat

Campaign and Media Update

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Now on Twitter….

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More Facebook “likes”

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200+ articles, reaching 200+ Million

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Defending federal workers…

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Becoming the go-to source…

“This is a kill-two-birds-with-one-stone kind of proposal that would both bring down Medicare as we know it and threaten the stability of the FEHBP.”--Joseph Beaudoin

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Earning a wide range of press…

“Chairman Ryan's belief that it is permissible to penalize middle-class federal workers, who protect Americans and keep our nation moving forward, is frightening.”--Joseph Beaudoin

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Getting creative to make news…

“2 out of 3 American federal workers protect our nation’s Defense, Veterans and Security.”--NARFE

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Giving a face to federal workers…

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Reaching wide audiences…

“Federal employees’ satisfaction comes from the knowledge that America is safer and stronger because they did their jobs.”--Joseph Beaudoin

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Persistently reaching out…

“NARFE said voting to cut federal employees pay during Public Service Recognition Week is offensive and angering.”

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Strength in numbers…

“There is no end to the list of important roles our federal workers play -- or, seemingly, to the list of thoughtless comments that plague them.”--NARFE, AFGE, NTEU

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PAH CampaignField

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Action Online…

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Resources & training

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Many letters to the editor…

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NARFE member engagement

• 500,000+ emails to elected officials sent

• 66,000+ NARFE members sent hand-written letters

• 30,000+ phone calls to Congress and White House

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Advocacy in Action Contest

• Encourage and reward for grassroots activities

• Information Collection

• Points for Actions

• 2 awards (Jan-June & July- Dec.)• Registrations for Legislative

Conference

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Engaging Partners

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http://www.fedmanagers.org/index.cfm

Appropriations

– Fed-Postal Coalition – 30 orgs through December

– Awareness campaign to engage Feds to support our friends and question those less friendly

– 8 targets (MT, FL, VA, MD, NV, HI, OH, NM)– Messages

• Feds committed to you and America• Feds are your neighbors and constituents• Already contributing towards budget savings

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Appropriations

VA Forum with Tim Kaine (George Allen to be scheduled)

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NARFE - PAC

• PROCEDURE

• Request comes in (Fed-Postal)• Email State PAC Coordinator for

“feedback”• Strive for a two week turnaround • Connect candidates with locals• Send local members to local events

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NARFE - PAC

• 2011-2012• 26,000+ members have contributed• Approximately $930,000.

• Distributed • Approximately $600,000 to 116 candidates• Attended more than 150 events• $120,000 to four party committees

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2013 Legislative Conference

• March 9 – 12, 2013

• Renaissance Arlington Capitol View• Across street from Hyatt• $169. per night

• Registration - $175 (same as 2011)• 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner

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2013 Legislative Conference

• NEW for 2013

• NARFE staff will help schedule Hill meetings

• Capitol Hill 101• Trainings on Social Media, Internet

and new forms of communications• Best Practices

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Why this works…

• We are building on the foundation built by Judy Park and the leadership of Dan Adcock.

• Julie Tagen, Director of Legislation

• Alan Lopatin, Legislative Counsel

• Chris Farrell, Legislative Representative

• John Hatton, Legislative Representative

• Jessica Klement, Communications and Legislative Representative

• Sarah Holstine, Legislative Specialist 44

What REALLY makes this work

•YOU• Your Calls• Your Emails• Your donations• Your Advocacy• Your participation in democracy

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