Washington, D.C. – Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva released the following statement today after it was reported that a pending budget deal hinges on forcing federal workers to pay more into pension plans and ending an extension of unemployment insurance: 

“Federal employees work every day to inspect our food, deliver Social Security checks and ensure our loved ones arrive safely at airports around the country. Our thanks to them over the past few years has been a series of pay freezes, furloughs and reckless government shutdowns. Federal workers’ pay and pensionsshould not be on the table and neither should unemployment insurance, which temporarily fills the gap for families during hard times. 

“I strongly oppose a budget deal that asks federal employees to endure another pay cut, ends an important economic lifeline for out-of-work Americans, and preserves unfair corporate tax giveaways. Congress should pass a budget deal that invests in jobs and the economy. American families should not be hurt in the process.”