President Trump on Thursday created a headache for vulnerable House Republicans in Virginia when he canceled a planned pay raise for federal employees.
Tens of thousands of federal employees live in Virginia, and Trump’s move to freeze their salaries, citing a federal bloated budget — though probably quite popular elsewhere — isn’t likely to go over well. For some Virginia House Republicans already under siege, it’s yet another challenge to overcome in the midterm elections.
“I strongly oppose eliminating the pay raise for civilian federal employees and will work with my colleagues to have the pay raise included in our appropriations,” Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock said in a strongly worded statement. She represents a suburban Washington, D.C., district in Northern Virginia.
“Our office opposes this and will be working with other offices next week on this issue,” added Republican Rep. Scott Taylor via Twitter. He represents a Southeastern Virginia seat with a major federal presence.
Comstock and Taylor find themselves at odds with Trump on yet another issue as they battle for re-election in swing seats. In 2016, the president lost Comstock’s 10th Congressional District by 10 percentage points, while pulling out a close victory of just 3.4 points in Scott’s 2nd Congressional District.
Inside Elections, a nonpartisan journal that handicaps congressional races, rates Comstock’s seat as “Tilt Democratic.” Taylor’s race is rated as “Lean Republican.” A Republican operative keeping a close tab on House races said Trump’s pay freeze isn’t helpful as the campaign clock approaches the crucial, post-Labor Day period.
“I think it could matter,” this operative said, adding hopefully: “But Comstock and Taylor are on the right side of this issue.”
Trump’s announcement comes just days before House Republicans return to Washington from their summer recess to resume work on spending bills that must be signed into law by the end of September to avoid a government shutdown.
Comstock and Taylor could win protection for the previously promised pay raises for federal employees through the appropriations process, but only if they can enlist the support of enough of their colleagues in the House and Senate.
It’s unclear if enough Republicans are willing to oppose Trump on this issue. Senate Democrats have some leverage, and could, if they choose, demand Trump’s pay freeze is abandoned in exchange for their votes, which are needed to pass government funding legislation.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., called Trump’s freeze unacceptable.
“As ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, I worked on a bipartisan basis to include a well-deserved 1.9 percent cost-of-living adjustment for federal employees in the 2019 funding bill. I won’t stop fighting for this much-needed raise in next year’s budget,” Coons said in a statement.
