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What You Should Know About the Omnibus

March 23, 2018

Funding

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Shutdown

The omnibus spending measure, which will keep the government funded through the end of September, is 2,232 pages long. Don’t have time to read it? Don’t worry, NTEU has you covered. We’ve combed through the bill for provisions impacting federal employees and have listed some important things you should know:

  • Several NTEU-represented agencies avoided deep agency cuts proposed in the president’s budget. They include the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, National Park Service and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.

  • The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other financial regulatory agencies will maintain their independence and remain largely outside the appropriations process. This is good news because it will allow these agencies that regulate big banks, credit unions and Wall Street to operate without political influence.

  • Customs and Border Protection will get $7.6 million to hire more than 300 new officers. Just last week, National President Tony Reardon testified on the dire need for more CBP Officers before a key house subcommittee.

  • Congress is providing the Internal Revenue Service with $11.4 billion for the 2018 fiscal year, a 1.7 percent increase from 2017. The funding includes $320 million to implement the new tax law. It’s a modest increase, but a step in the right direction as NTEU continues to fight for adequate IRS funding for fiscal 2019.

  • NTEU-supported language in the omnibus maintains the moratorium on A-76 conversions. This is a significant victory at a time when the administration and some in Congress are focused on outsourcing federal functions to the private sector.

  • Some of the best news for federal employees is what is not in the omnibus. The omnibus measure does not target federal employee due process rights, pay, retirement or health care benefits. NTEU will continue to press Congress for a 3 percent pay raise in 2019.

What’s next? To avoid a government shutdown, the the president must sign the measure before current funding expires Friday night. In case the measure is not signed in time and there is a lapse in appropriations, NTEU is working with supporters in the House and Senate to ensure all federal employees are paid. NTEU successfully secured back pay for all federal employees after the last two government shutdowns.