NARFE

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Associations (NARFE) is a nonprofit, 501(c)5 membership association dedicated to improving the benefits of active and retired federal employees. NARFE has some 300,000 members: active federal employees, retirees, their spouses and survivors, and over 1,300 NARFE chapters. NARFE also offers electronic chapters to members who wish to receive their information electronically. Their agenda includes "extend the Premium Conversion rights that federal and postal employees have to federal annuitants" and "Repeal the Social Security Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)." Through both of these acts, NARFE is trying to increase the pensions of retired federal workers.^[1][2] NARFE has chapters all over the United States, including almost every state. Additionally, there are chapters in Washington, DC; Puerto Rico; Panama and the Philippines. Most members of NARFE are covered Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).^[3][4]

NARFE Legislative Program

The Legislative Program of NARFE is made annually coming before each Congress. The Program is divided into three categories in order to show their importance as NARFE legislative goals. The first is to preserve the goals already reached. The second is to provide benefits to the future members of NARFE. The thirds includes all other goals of NARFE.^[5][6]

Lobbying

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, in 1993-1994 NARFE spent $996,500 on lobbying. Most of their money (89.2%) went towards the Democratic Party.^[7][8] In 1996 NARFE spent $140,000 on lobbying. They hired Ledge Counsel, Inc. for their lobbying.^[9][10]

Legislation opposed

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association expressed opposition to H.R. 273 (113th Congress) to eliminate the 2013 statutory pay adjustment for Federal employees. The bill would overrule President Obama's December 27, 2012 Executive Order #13635, which would end the ongoing pay freeze and give civilian federal employees a 0.5% raise in 2013. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this measure would save the federal government $11 billion over 10 years.^[11] Joseph Beaudoin, the President of NARFE, argued that “continuing the pay freeze will only exacerbate the problem of an underpaid federal workforce and weaken the quality of our federal civil service over time.”^[11]

References