Federal Union Issues Challenge to Federal Employees with ‘Each One, Reach One’ Campaign to Prevent Default

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cory Bythrow, Communications Director 
Phone: (202) 216-4420

Washington, D.C. – The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), a national union representing 110,000 federal workers in nearly 40 separate departments and agencies government-wide, is challenging federal employees to call one or more of their Congressional representatives before August 2, and tell them to prevent a government default.

“Today we are issuing a challenge to each and every one of our nation’s 2.1 million federal employees,” said NFFE National President William R. Dougan. “We challenge federal workers all across the nation to call one member of Congress and tell them to come to a responsible agreement on the debt ceiling that protects hard-earned benefits and vital government services. Two million federal workers will be impossible to ignore.”

The “Each One, Reach One” campaign aims to illustrate the far-reaching consequences facing federal employees if Congress cannot reach an agreement to raise the debt ceiling by the August 2nd deadline. Failure to do so would trigger an immediate 40% cut to the federal budget, as incoming revenues will not be nearly enough to cover the cost of outstanding bills. Without the ability to borrow the difference, the government will be forced to pick and choose which bills to pay, and which not to pay. This could mean serious cutbacks to agency operations, resulting in anything from furloughs, to delayed compensation, and even delays to retiree checks. In other words, a default would do inestimable damage to federal workers, their families, and the services they provide to the American people every day.

“Congress is playing a dangerous game of political chicken and federal employees are caught in the middle,” said Dougan. “The time for games is over. It is shameful that our elected officials are putting the livelihoods of federal workers at risk just so they can score cheap political points on one another. Federal employees show up to work every day and do their job so that our nation’s borders are secure, our veterans are cared for, and our food is inspected. Now is the time for Congress to do what we sent them to Washington to do, and give our government the resources it needs to serve the American people.”

“The stakes are too high for federal employees to sit on the sidelines and allow Congress to send our government into default,” Dougan continued. “As the President told Congress last week, it is time for them to eat their peas. We challenge the millions of current and former federal employees throughout this country to call their representatives in Congress, and let them know it’s time to eat up.”

For more information on NFFE’s “Each One, Reach One” campaign, click here.