Dear Mr. Chairman and Representative Connolly,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police, and Federal officers in particular, to urge the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to exempt all Federal law enforcement officers from any and all pension cuts that will be under consideration as part of the reconciliation process.
As just one example of how these cuts would affect a Federal agency—we have been advised by the Chairman of the USCP Labor Committee that the pension cuts would be the “last straw” for many officers who are eligible for retirement. As Members of Congress and their staff know well, these officers face extraordinary challenges in a very high-risk environment. In 2024, the USCP’s Threat Assessment Section (TAS) investigated almost 10,000 concerning statements and direct threats against Members of Congress, including their families and staff. If the proposed cuts go forward, we are certain that many of these officers—perhaps as many as 25%—will retire at a time when the agency is already understaffed. These retirements will degrade the USCP’s force readiness and increase the risks to remaining officers, Members of Congress, staff, and visitors to the U.S. Capitol. Other Federal agencies could be similarly affected.
Law enforcement agencies across the country are struggling to recruit, hire, and retain officers. These include Federal agencies in the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. Many agencies, like USCP and Secret Service, are being required to work excessive amounts of forced overtime, a burden that negatively impacts officer morale, officer mental health, and mission readiness.
The proposals to be considered this week by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform would result in a pay cut of 3.6% by requiring more senior officers to make higher contributions from their wages to the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS). In addition, their retirement calculations would change, which would cost some officers tens of thousands in retirement income.
The National FOP is calling on the committee to exempt Federal law enforcement officers from these pension cuts. Of the 2.4 million non-postal Federal employees affected, only 137,000 are Federal law enforcement officers. Law enforcement officers have a mandatory retirement age of 57 and, unlike other Federal employees who could offset retirement losses by working longer, that is not an option for Federal law enforcement officers who deserve the retirement benefits they earned.
On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I urge the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to amend the existing proposals to exempt all Federal law enforcement officers from any and all pension cuts considered during the reconciliation process. Thank you in advance for considering our request and, if I can be of any further assistance or provide additional information on how this would impact Federal law enforcement officers, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President