The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents employees at the NCUA and CFPB, endorsed bills in the House and Senate that would provide a 3.8% salary increase to all federal employees.

Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-Va.) introduced the bill in the House Tuesday.

The Senate version of the Federal Adjustment of Income Rate (FAIR) Act is co-sponsored by Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.).

Federal employees received a 1% pay increase in 2014 and 2015, according to NTEU and other reports. Federal pay was frozen from 2011 to 2013.

“We applaud Sens. Schatz and Cardin and Rep. Connolly for proposing to give federal employees a fair pay raise,” NTEU National President Colleen M. Kelley said. “After salary freezes, furloughs and a government shutdown, it is time for federal employee pay to get back on track. These two bills would also help narrow the widening disparity between federal and private-sector pay.”

According to a report issued by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, in 2012, federal employees received 2% higher pay than private sector employees with comparable skills. The CBO also said federal workers received better benefits.

“Average benefits were 46% higher for federal employees whose highest level of education was a bachelor's degree than for similar private-sector employees and 72% higher for federal employees with no more than a high school education than for their private-sector counterparts,” the report said.