The next scheduled Chapter 1373 meeting will be at 11:15 am
Wednesday July 15, 2009
at
Marion Cafe
100 S. Main Street
Marion, KY. 42064
All current and retired Federal employees and their spouses are invited to join us.

NARFE Deplores plan to Cut Earned Federal Civilian Retirement Annuities By $2.535 Billion Over Five Years

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION:
June 11, 2009 Dan Adcock (703) 838-7760

NARFE Deplores Plan to Cut Earned Federal Civilian Retirement Annuities

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) President Margaret L. Baptiste denounced proposals made by House Republican leaders to reduce the retirement annuities of federal workers and require them to work longer to receive their full earned annuity.

The proposals, set forth in a policy agenda released on June 4 by Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), recommend that the federal civilian annuity calculation be based on the highest five years of salary instead of the highest three years. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that “the average new Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) retiree would receive about $1,250 less in 2008 and $6,530 less over five years than under current law.”

In addition, the Boehner/Cantor paper recommends that federal civilian employees not be afforded their earned annuity until they reach age 62, under any circumstance. Currently, employees can retire at age 55 if they have 30 or more years of service or at age 60 if they have 20 or more years of service. Federal public safety employees are required to retire by age 57, and air traffic controllers must retire by age 56.

“Not only would these proposals dishonor the government’s obligations to its workers, but it also makes public service a much harder sell to the highly talented and skilled individuals needed to take on the challenges of recovering from an unparalleled economic upheaval, fighting two wars and defending the homeland,” Baptiste said. “The federal government should serve as a model to other employers and should not be a part of the mindless race to the bottom, which has contributed to the growing number of employees without adequate retirement savings or health insurance.”

Baptiste concluded, “Federal workers and annuitants have dedicated their careers and continue to give so much for our nation and our ideals. NARFE urges the Congress not to demean their public service by reducing the retirement and health benefits that are rightfully theirs.”

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NARFE, one of America’s oldest and largest associations, was founded in 1921 with the mission of protecting the earned rights and benefits of America’s active and retired federal workers. The largest federal employee/ retiree organization, NARFE represents the retirement interests of nearly 5 million current and future federal annuitants, spouses, and survivors

The next scheduled Chapter 1373 meeting will be at 11:15 am
Wednesday June 17, 2009
at
Marion Cafe
100 S. Main Street
Marion, KY. 42064
All current and retired Federal employees and their spouses are invited to join us.

What is NARFE?

NARFE’s mission has remained the same since 1921: To preserve and enhance the retirement
benefits of federal retirees, employees and their families.

Our current legislative agenda focuses on:
1. Protecting existing retirement and health benefits while Congress attempts to deal with high federal budget deficits;
2. Fighting the growth of controversial “Health Savings Accounts,” which could make comprehensive health plans more expensive;
3. Extending the “Premium Conversion” rights of federal employees to federal annuitants, so they, too, can pay their Federal Employees Health Benefits Program premiums with nontaxable
dollars and save hundreds of dollars each year; and,
4. Repealing the Social Security Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)—two provisions that can substantially reduce the expected Social Security income of certain retired federal workers.

A Lot To Be Thankful For

It’s only natural when considering whether to join or renew membership in an organization
to ask: What have you done for me ... lately?
Luckily, NARFE has a lot to report. Here is a roundup of some of the Association’s most recent
legislative accomplishments on your behalf.

Fending Off Budget Reductions

2007 The President’s FY 2008 budget included a reduction in government Federal Employees
Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) contributions for certain future retirees. It also advocated
expanding Health Saving Accounts in the FEHBP. NARFE was instrumental in eliminating these
items from the final congressional Budget Resolution.

2006 The Senate Budget Committee approved a bill that required automatic reductions in federal civilian and military retirement benefits. NARFE saw to it that no further action was
taken.

2006 NARFE persuaded the House Education and the Workforce Committee not to reduce
federal workers’ compensation benefits after the House version of the FY 2007 Budget Resolution instructed the committee to cut entitlement programs
by $1.3 billion.

2005 Congress proposed to cut federal civilian retirement benefits (including the FEHBP and
cost-of-living adjustments) by $2.3 billion from the FY 2005 budget. NARFE, with the help of
friends in Congress, was successful in having this proposal dropped.

2004 Amendments were proposed to require automatic reductions in federal civilian and military retirement (but not Social Security). The cut in civilian retirement over the next 10 years could have been as much as $99 billion, drastically reducing FEHBP and other federal retirement benefits. Strong opposition from NARFE defeated the proposal.

2003 The House Budget Committee called for cutting federal civilian retirement benefits by $38.3 billion. NARFE, with the help of friends in Congress, succeeded in stopping this proposal.

2002 The House Budget Committee proposed requiring federal agencies to pre-fund post-retirement FEHBP premiums and pay the full normal cost of federal civilian retirement benefits. This would have created an artificial funding crisis that would have undermined the health security of federal employees and annuitants. NARFE persuaded the Committee to withdraw this proposal.

1997 Legislation that would have required automatic spending cuts in programs such as federal
civilian retirement, if total spending exceeded certain limits, was defeated after NARFE, with bipartisan assistance, persuaded Congress to reject this bill. There has been no legislated reduction in civil service retirement benefits in more than a decade. Despite years of budget deficits, major natural disasters, a changing world economy, terrorist attacks at home and wars abroad, our earned benefits have remain untouched because NARFE, backed by activist members and supportive members of Congress, has acted as a deterrent against adverse
proposals.

Enhancing FEHBP

2003 NARFE was instrumental in having legislation passed that protects the prescription drug coverage of the FEHBP for Medicare-covered annuitants.
1997 Through NARFE’s efforts, the “Fair Share”
FEHBP government contribution formula was added to the year’s Balanced Budget Act, saving the average enrollee $164 (self-only) to $326 (self-andfamily)in premiums the first year alone.

Additional NARFE Accomplishments

* Pay Parity was passed on March 31, 2004, and has been maintained.

* Legislation was enacted December 23, 2004, to offer federal workers and annuitants
separate dental and vision insurance.

* Federal Long Term Care Insurance became law in December 2003.

* The NARFE-endorsed Patients’ Bill of Rights was implemented in 1998.

* A proposal to eliminate the annuity portion of the Federal Employees Retirement
System (FERS) was defeated in 1998.

NARFE Is Your Insurance Policy

NARFE acts as your insurance policy against a reduction in your annuities and health-care protection.
Federal health care and retirement benefits are always vulnerable, particularly with a budget deficit. Indeed, in the not too distant future, lawmakers may want to cut federal retirement in response to the tremendous pressure 77 million retiring baby boomers will place on the budget. A strong membership means enhanced clout with Congress.
The next time you wonder what NARFE has done for you ... lately ... take a look at the accomplishments listed here. Then ask yourself if you are still receiving your full annuity, healthcare benefits and cost-of-living adjustments. If you answer yes, then you can

THANK NARFE!

The next scheduled Chapter 1373 meeting will be at:
National Active andRetired Federal Employees Association's
Spring Sprint
Will be held
Monday May 4th at Miss Scarlett's Restaurant,
Grand Rivers, Ky.
I-24 exit 31
Registration from 9:30 a.m.
We wish to invite all current and retired Federal employees to join us.
Monday, May 4th, 2009
**
Then the next scheduled Chapter 1373 meeting will be at 11:15 am
Wednesday May 20, 2009
at
*******Marion Cafe ..&...Thom's Sweet Shoppe
100 S. Main Street ..&...102 S. Main Street
Marion, KY. 42064

All current and retired Federal employees and their spouses are invited to join us.

William Arflack

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In Memorium William Arflack
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The next scheduled Chapter 1373 meeting will be at 11:15 am
Wednesday April 22, 2009
at
*******Marion Cafe ..&...Thom's Sweet Shoppe
100 S. Main Street ..&...102 S. Main Street
Marion, KY. 42064
All current and retired Federal employees and their spouses are invited to join us.