Statement of Colorado Senate Democratic Leader Leroy Garcia in Response to President Trump’s Cancellation of Pay Raises for Federal Employees

Denver, CO — Colorado Senate Democratic Leader Leroy Garcia released the following statement in response to President Trump’s announcement this afternoon that he would cancel a scheduled pay increase of 2.1 percent for federal employees:“I’m deeply troubled by President Trump’s request to cancel a pay increase for our veterans and federal employees. Canceling the pay increase would be disastrous for Colorado families. Our state is home to tens of thousands of veterans and federal employees. It is unacceptable to decide that fiscal responsibility is a burden that should be borne by those who serve our country at time when we’re giving tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires. Congress has the opportunity to push back against this shortsighted action by passing a spending bill that includes a federal pay raise. I urge the entire Colorado congressional delegation to do so.”As of June 2017, there were tens of thousands of federal employees working in Colorado, including more than 37,000 federal civilians and more than 35,000 active duty military members.Source: http://www.governing.com/gov-data/federal-employees-workforce-numbers-by-state.html.