FMA Members,

As you may recall, I sent out an action letter for your distribution last month regarding an amendment to the Senate version of the FY10 National Defense Authorization Act, S.1390, which contained several of FMA’s top priorities. Specifically, the amendment would have:

Credited FERS employees for unused sick leave
Extended locality pay to employees in Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. Territories
Allowed FERS employees to redeposit annuity upon returning to government
Allowed for the part-time reemployment of annuitants without offset to salary

Unfortunately, Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) opposed the amendment, leading to its withdrawal.

The House-passed bill (H.R. 2647, which included these measures except for the part-time reemployment of annuitants provision) and the Senate-passed version (S. 1390 which included only the part-time reemployment of annuitants language) are currently in conference where Members of Congress are working out the differences between the two bills.

Below are two distinct letters urging Members of Congress who are involved in the conference process to include these measures in the final version of the defense bill. A list of the conferees is provided below:

House                                                               Senate

Ike Skelton (D-MO.)                                          Carl Levin (D-Mich.)
John Spratt (D-SC.)                                          Robert Byrd (D-WV.)
Solomon Ortiz (D-TX.)                                       Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.)
Gene Taylor (D-Miss.)                                       Jack Reed (D-RI.)
Neil Abercrombie (D-Haw.)                                Daniel Akaka (D-Haw.)
Silvestre Reyes (D-TX.)                                     Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
Vic Snyder (D-Ark.)                                           Ben Nelson (D-Neb.)
Adam Smith (D-Wash.)                                      Evan Bayh (D-Ind.)
Loretta Sanchez (D-Cali.)                                   Jim Webb (D-Va.)
Mike McIntyre (D-NC.)                                       Claire McCaskill (D-MO.)
Ellen Tauscher (Cali.)                                        Mark Udall (D-CO.)
Robert Brady (D-Pa.)                                         Kay Hagan (D-NC.)
Robert Andrews (D-NJ)                                      Mark Begich (D-AK.)
Susan Davis (D-Cali.)                                        Roland Burris (D-Ill.)
James Langevin (D-RI.)                                      John McCain (R-Ariz.)
Rick Larsen (D-Wash.)                                       James Inhofe (R-Okla.)
Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.)                                        Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.)
Jim Marshall (D-GA.)                                         Saxby Chambliss (R-GA.)
Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam)                             Lindsey Graham (R-SC.)
Howard McKeon (R-Cali.)                                    John Thune (R-SD.)
Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.)                                      Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
Joe Wilson (R-SC.)                                             Richard Burr (R-NC.)
Robert Wittman (R-Va.)                                      David Vitter (R-LA.)
Randy Forbes (D-Va.)                                        Susan Collins (R-ME.)
Todd Akin (R-MO.)                                            
Michael Turner (R-Ohio)                                     
Jeff Miller (R-Fla.)
Darrell Issa (R-Cali.)
Edolphus Towns (D-NY.)
Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.)

The first letter asks that the FERS sick leave and locality pay extension provisions contained in the House-passed bill be included in the final version of the defense bill.

The second letter asks that the reemployed annuitants measure, contained in the Senate-passed bill, also be included in the final legislation.

We urge any FMA members with a Representative or Senator(s) listed above to send in the letters. Any members who do not see their Rep/Senators above SHOULD NOT send in either letter.

Federal Employee Provisions Letter

Reemployed Annuitants Letter

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact FMA's National Office.

Thank you very much for your help and continued action on behalf of FMA!

Karl Gruss
FMA Government Affairs Assistant

Should you have any questions, please contact FMA's Government Affairs Department at 703-683-8700, or email FMA Government Affairs Assistant Karl Gruss at kgruss@fedmanagers.org. Thank you very much, and we look forward to continuing our commitment to provide you with the highest level of advocacy on Capitol Hill.