Washington, D.C. -- Republican leaders blocked legislation this week that would correct a disparity in retirement benefits for 50,000 federal employees.  The measure would shift federal employees in Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. Territories from the current structure that grants them a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to a system in which they received Locality Pay based on location, like federal employees get in the Continental United States.  The disparity occurs when employee retirement benefits are calculated.  Locality Pay is figured into an employee’s salary and the COLA is not.  As a result, employees doing the same jobs in the Continental U.S. get higher retirement pay.

“This affects the lives and futures of thousands of federal employees,” said Rep. Neil Abercrombie, who cosponsored the bill in the House.  “We worked for many months to correct this injustice.  The Senate approved the bill unanimously and the White House and Office of Personnel Management have agreed to the change.  But, at the very last moment, Republican Leader John Boehner told us he didn’t even want to consider the legislation, and it was stopped cold.  This has never been a partisan issue.  To inject politics into it at this point is incomprehensible.”

“This sort of disrespect for thousands of professional employees who deliver the government services that Americans expect is the reason Republicans became the minority party in Congress in 2006, and why they lost even more in the House and Senate last month,” Abercrombie said.  “What’s most unfortunate is that the arrogant disregard for the rights of 50,000 people achieves nothing; it improves nothing; it corrects nothing.  In fact, if federal employment in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and the Pacific Islands means people will have to settle for less future financial security, our government will have an increasingly difficult time recruiting and keeping the very best personnel.”

Abercrombie promised the bill will be brought back and passed a soon as possible.

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