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Washington, D.C.—The leader of the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees today offered strong support for a House bill that would provide a 3.3 percent pay raise for most of the federal workforce in 2015. The White House has proposed a 1 percent raise for next year.

President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) called the measure, introduced by Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-Va.), Rep. James Moran (D-Va.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), “a welcome and needed step toward getting federal pay back on track.” President Kelley called for a 3.3 percent increase at the union’s Legislative Conference in February based on the Employment Cost Index and the formula for federal pay raises outlined in federal law.

The Connolly-Moran-Cummings bill, titled the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Compensation Act, would impact the pay of those covered under the General Schedule and Wage Grade Pay Systems. In a statement, Rep. Connolly called federal employees “the heart and soul of our federal government.”

In a letter of support to the three representatives, President Kelley emphasized that “federal employees did not cause the budget deficit, but they have been asked to try to address it almost single-handedly.” She noted that federal workers already have contributed $138 billion toward deficit reduction through a three-year pay freeze and increased contributions toward their pensions.

“Many also saw pay reductions due to unpaid furlough days caused by sequestration,” she wrote, “and the totally-unnecessary 16-day government shutdown meant delayed pay checks for nearly all federal employees.”

In the face of those setbacks and difficulties, the NTEU leader said, “federal employees have continued to do their jobs with skill and dedication, despite the cuts to their compensation and the lack of resources provided to their agencies.” They are, however, facing hardships just like other Americans from increased costs for rent, food, tuition and other expenses, she said.

Reps. Connolly, Moran and Cummings each represent large numbers of federal workers and, along with other members of the Virginia and Maryland congressional delegations, have been strong supporters of federal employees and the issues that impact their work.

As the largest independent federal union, NTEU represents 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.