October 2014 NARFE Magazine

OCT

’14

COVER STORY

educating feds Smart Approaches Pay Off

P.29

How They voted: 113th Congress Scorecard

P.44 P.52

ALTERNATIVE FORM OF ANNUITY

Volume 90 • Number 10

CONGRATULATIONS

to NARFE National President, Richard G. Thissen, and NARFE National Secretary-Treasurer, Jon W. Dowie.

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WashingTon Watch

6

At Last! OPM Releases Phased Retirement Regs

7

President Obama Signs Compromise VA Bill

8

Down to the Wire, But No Shutdown Expected

9

Will Past Be Prologue?

Here’s a Look at Midterm Election Trends

10 Registration Opens for the NARFE Legislative Conference

10 ‘No Boundaries’ in

Advocacy With Partners

11 Legislative Conference Registration Form

44

12 NARFE Bill Tracker

Cover Story EDUCATING FEDS. Universities, nonprofit and for-profit companies, and the government itself are competing to provide affordable education options for federal employees.

Columns

4 From the President 28 The Informed Citizen 58 Managing Money

52

DEPARTMENTS

16 Questions & Answers 60 For the Record: TSP

Alternative form of annuity. A little-known option gives critically ill federal employees a lumpsum payout and a reduced pension.

Investments, COLA Chart

62 NARFE News 68 The Way We Worked

On the Web

special section

visit us online at:

www.narfe.org

24 Open Season Report 29 How They Voted: 113th

like us on facebook:

NARFE National Headquarters follow us on twitter:

@narfehq

Congress Scoreboard

ON THE COVER

Illustration by Bill Pragluski, Critical Stages, LLC

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OCTOber 2014 | Volume 90 | Number 10

Editor Margaret M. Carter Assistant Editor Ken Fanelli Editorial Administrator Toni Vallario Graphic Design Charlene Gridley Editorial Board Joseph A. Beaudoin, Paul H. Carew Elaine C. Hughes, Richard G. Thissen Editorial Office: narfe magazine 606 North Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314-1914 Phone: 703-838-7760 Fax: 703-838-7781 Email: communications@narfe.org Advertising Sales: Warren Berger Media People Inc. 122 East 42nd St., Suite 725 New York, NY 10168 Phone: 212-779-7172, ext. 223 Email: wberger@mediapeople.com NARFE for the Visually Impaired On the Telephone: This publication can be heard on the telephone by persons who have trouble seeing or reading the print edition. For more information, contact the National Federation of the Blind NFB-NEWSLINE® service at 866-5047300 or go to www.nfbnewsline.org.

On digital audio: Issues of narfe magazine are also available in audio format through the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). For availability, call 202-727-2142 or your local NLS service provider.

The Association, since July 1970, has been classified by the IRS as a tax-exempt labor organization [not a union]; however, dues and gifts or contributions to the Association are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes.

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association NATIONAL OFFICERS JOSEPH A. BEAUDOIN, President; natpres@narfe.org PAUL H. CAREW, Vice President; natvp@narfe.org ELAINE C. HUGHES, Secretary; natsec@narfe.org RICHARD G. THISSEN, Treasurer; nattreas@narfe.org

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS

REGION I Arthur Pike (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont) Tel: 207-764-4468 Email: artpike1937@aol.com REGION II Evelyn Kirby (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania) Tel: 410-604-1141 Email: ekirby@atlanticbb.net REGION III Donald Stewart (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina and Virgin Islands) Tel: 305-442-6388 Email: dejs33149@aol.com REGION IV Paul E. Johnson (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin) Tel: 812-306-5137 Email: pejohnson@tds.net REGION V Carol R. Ek (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota) Tel: 620-241-1131 Email: ek617@att.net

Here’s How to Contact Us… If you want to:

Join NARFE Call (toll-free): 800-627-3394 or go to: www.narfe.org Change your address, phone number or email Call (toll-free): 800-456-8410 Email: memberrecords@narfe.org

REGION VI Jerome S. Smith (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Republic of Panama and Texas) Tel: 903-534-5849 Email: retiredjer@aol.com REGION VII Frank Impinna (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) Tel: 303-482-1747 Email: impinna@gmail.com REGION VIII Helen L. Zajac (California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada and Republic of Philippines) Tel: 707-644-7565 Email: hlz17@aol.com REGION IX Lanny G. Ross (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington) Tel: 360-692-9741 Email: lannyjean@comcast.net REGION X William F. Martin (Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) Tel: 540-872-3345 Email: billmartin@narferx.org

For any other NARFE matter:

Call NARFE Headquarters: 703-838-7760 Email: hq@narfe.org Fax: 703-838-7785 Write: NARFE 606 N. Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314

www.narfe.org

narfe (ISSN 1948-4453) is published monthly by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA, and additional mailing offices. Members: Annual dues includes subscription. Nonmember subscription rate $45. Postmaster: Send address change to: NARFE Attn: Member Records, 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314. To ensure prompt delivery, members should also forward changes of address without delay. Because of the volume involved, NARFE cannot acknowledge nor be responsible for unsolicited pictures and manuscripts, although every reasonable precaution is taken. All submissions become the property of NARFE. Copyright © 2014, NARFE. Advertisements in the magazine are not endorsements of products and/or services by NARFE, unless officially stated in the ad. We shall accept advertising on the same basis as other reputable publications: that is, we shall not knowingly permit a dishonest advertisement to appear in narfe, but at the same time we will not undertake to guarantee the reliability of our advertisers.

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From the President

A fond Farewell

N

ow that my term as NARFE National President is almost over (my last day is October 31), I would

like to share some reflections with you.

First, I want to say that NARFE is very fortunate to have an excellent staff of 51 employees – many of whom have worked for the Association for two decades or more. Without them, NARFE could not have accomplished as much as it has.

I leave the presidency knowing that NARFE has had significant successes in advancing its legislative agenda. I also depart knowing that NARFE is sufficiently solvent and has ended the past two years in the black, and is expected to do the same this year, reversing a deficit situation that had dogged the Association throughout the previous 10 years.

Our IT department has moved NARFE into the 21st century. Chapters and federations now have

improved electronic communications available, such as the Online Activities Module (OAM). We also provide Web hosting, video streaming and more. Our Federal Benefits Service Department has continued to provide exceptional service to our members and others who have contacted NARFE for expert advice and assistance.

During my tenure as president, NARFE initiated one of its greatest successes − the eChapter.

In March 2011, eChapter 2363 was formed with five members. Three years later, it has more than 21,000 members – a 4,200 percent increase!

I also am personally gratified by the overwhelming votes at the recent National Convention that reduced the number of National Officers from four to two and endorsed using the report of the Future of NARFE Committee, which I appointed, as a springboard to making the changes necessary to put our great Association on a path to sustainability.

In closing, I want to thank all of you for your support and friendship during my years at Headquarters. Thank you for everything that you do at the local and regional levels. I will miss working for you, but I know that I will be leaving you in the very capable hands of our new officers and NARFE’s dedicated employees.

God bless NARFE, and God bless all of you.

Joseph A. Beaudoin NARFE national President natpres@narfe.org

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Washington Watch

At last! OPM releases Phased retirement regs; program begins nov. 6

M

ore than two years after Congress passed a law creating phased retirement for federal employees, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced August 7

the final regulations implementing the law. Starting November 6, federal employees who meet the eligibility requirements will be allowed to request a move to phased retirement.

“Under phased retirement, a full-time employee will be able to work part time and start collecting retirement benefits,” OPM said. “Phased retirees must also spend 20 percent of their time mentoring their fellow employees as a way for them to pass on their knowledge and skills to their colleagues.”

NARFE had been pushing the agency to complete the regulations since the law passed in July 2012. Many members called NARFE Headquarters asking when phased retirement would

Congressional scorecard

Special pullout section begins on page 29.

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become an option for them.

In addition to providing federal employees with new flexibility, the new authority also should provide managerial flexibility, “crucial during this time of austerity budgeting,” said NARFE President Joseph A. Beaudoin.

“Instead of losing experienced employees, agencies will be able to retain them on a part-time basis and benefit from the law’s requirement to mentor junior employees, including their replacements.”

Eligibility. Here’s who is eligible for phased retirement: • Employees under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) who are eligible for immediate retirement and have at least 30 years of service and are age 55 or older, or have at least 20

years of service and are age 60 or older; and • Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) employees who have at least 30 years of service and are at or beyond their minimum retirement age (MRA), or have at least 20 years of service and are age 60 or older.

Employees in positions with mandatory retirement ages do not qualify for phased retirement.

Under the regulations, the number of hours a phased retiree can work must be equal to one-half the number of hours the phased retiree would have been scheduled to work had he or she remained in a full-time work schedule. For example, employees who typically work 80 hours per biweekly pay period would work 40 hours in phased retirement.

NARFE’s Reaction. NARFE applauded release of the regulations, saying most of the Association’s concerns were addressed and clarified in the final rules, but expressed concern about the way the mentoring requirement will be implemented. “We are disap-

PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNS COMPROMISE VA BILL pointed that they allow agencies too much leeway to waive the mentoring requirement,” said Beaudoin. “Unfortunately, there are several mentoring requirements already in regulation that are not being used to their fullest extent.”

Effect on Benefits. In most instances, phased retirees will be treated like part-time employees. One important exception is health care. Phased retirees will continue to receive the full contribution from the government under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), and their premiums won’t change.

According to OPM, employees who are interested in participating in phased retirement should first talk to their manager and/or Human Resources office to see if this is an option for them. If eligible, they fill out an application. Once their agency approves it, OPM will process it.

“To me, this program is a win-win,” commented OPM Director Katherine Archuleta.

“Employees can design a smooth transition into the next phase of their lives, and agencies across government can get a head start on succession planning.”

More information on how to apply for phased retirement, how benefits are accrued and calculated, and phased retirement in general can be found in the OPM guidance to agency heads at http://chcoc.gov/transmittals/ index.aspx.

—By Jessica Klement, Legislative Director

A

bill to overhaul the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was signed into law by President Obama August 7, following recent media attention on the VA’s problems.

The $16.3 billion compromise bill passed in the final days before Congress adjourned for the summer recess after a long negotiation process led by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bernard Sanders, I-VT, and House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Jeff Miller, R-FL. It contains multiple provisions aimed at improving employee accountability and quality of care.

Most notably for federal employees, the law allows the VA secretary to fire any Senior Executive Service (SES) employee immediately, in lieu of being placed on administrative leave. The employee would have seven days to appeal the decision to the Merit Systems Protection Board, which would have 21 days to make a final ruling. An earlier version of the bill that passed the House did not include any protections for fired executives. This provision applies only to VA senior executives.

As President Obama signed the bill into law, he said, “If you engage in an unethical practice, cover up a serious problem, you should be fired.”

The law also provides funding for the VA to hire more doc-

tors, nurses and other medical personnel and allows veterans to seek private care outside VA facilities in certain circumstances. These changes were enacted to reduce wait times for veterans having difficulty scheduling timely appointments.

NARFE did not take a position on the final compromise bill, but remains concerned that Congress could expand the widespread firing practices and reduction of due process to other agencies and federal employees in the future.

—By Jason Freeman, Legislative Staff Assistant

Legislative Resources • Legislative Hotline: A weekly update of legislative news, compiled by the NARFE Legislative Department staff, distributed via email and available by phone (toll-free) at 877-217-8234 and online at www.narfe.org.

• Legislative Action Center: A one-stop site to send a letter to Congress, and more, at www.narfe.org.

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Washington Watch

down to the wire, but No shutdown expected

C

ongress returned from its August recess with the October 1 start of fiscal year 2015 less than a month away and none of the 12 annual appropriations bills enacted into law.

Prior to leaving Washington, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, set an adjournment target of September 23, the day before Rosh Hashanah begins.

That leaves Congress with two weeks to finish up a year’s worth of appropriations decisions or punt the decision-making until after the November 4 midterm congressional elections, with con-

Under one likely scenario, Congress would pass a massive omnibus funding measure to fund the federal government after it returns to Capitol Hill in November for a lame-duck session. It also is plausible that Congress would defer final action on fiscal year 2015 spending until after the newly elected Congress is seated in January.

But, we are reminded that those 12 annual measures funding agency operations – covering the civil service and longstanding regulatory, enforcement and other government activities – were not

Absent some unprecedented flood of legislative action, Congress almost certainly will resort to a continuing resolution. trol of the Senate predicted to be very much at stake.

Not one of the 12 annual appropriations has been debated on the Senate floor – a record of gridlock that has blocked the consideration of virtually any meaningful legislation in the “world’s greatest deliberative body.” By contrast, the House Appropriations Committee has reported all but one of its 12 annual measures, and eight have been considered by the full membership on the House floor.

Absent some unprecedented flood of legislative action, Congress almost certainly will resort to a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government running past October 1, avoiding a shutdown and funding activities until later in the calendar year – past the November elections.

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the only unfinished business left hanging when senators and their House colleagues left DC. Congressional leaders may combine a CR with an emergency funding bill to address the influx of unaccompanied immigrant children.

While Congress’ abysmal approval rating is old news, one new piece of data may make election night 2014 more interesting.

Opinion polls, for the first time, suggest that voters not only disapprove of the overall performance of Congress but also have an unfavorable view of their own member of Congress. In September, members have one more chance to prove their productive, bipartisan, putting-people-first, get-thingsdone resolve before voters go to the polls.

—By Alan Lopatin, Legislative Counsel

MYTH vs.

REALITY Myth: The two increases in retirement contributions for new federal employees hired in 2013 and 2014 will help shore up the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF).

Reality: The $21 billion that new federal employees will lose over 10 years from these increases in retirement contributions will not go toward bolstering the CSRDF. When Congress forced federal employees to pay more toward their retirement the first time, they used the money to offset the cost of extending unemployment insurance.

The second time, the money was used to offset sequestration budget cuts, which were instituted as a result of Congress and the White House failing to achieve a budget agreement.

According to the Congressional Research Service, “under the financing arrangement set out in current law, the system is not now and never will be ‘insolvent’ or without adequate budget authority for payment of benefits.”

A bill to repeal these two increases, the Federal Employee Pension Fairness Act (H.R. 5338), recently was introduced in the House by Rep. Donna Edwards, D-MD.

will past be prologue? Here’s A look at midterm election trends

W

hen the polls open on November 4, voters will cast their ballots in the biennial elections of the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as for 36 Senate seats. The results will determine the makeup of the 114th Congress (2015-2016), setting the stage for the budget and policy fights within Congress and with the president.

Dynamics of the Midterm Election. Voter turnout, represented by the percentage of the voting-age population that casts a ballot, has been significantly lower in midterm elections than presidential election years. Where voter turnout for presidential elections was 56.9 percent in 2008 and 53.6 percent in 2012, according to the United States Elections Project, it was only 37.2 percent and 37.8 percent in the midterm elections of 2006 and 2010, respectively.

Not only are there fewer voters, but the demographics and partisan leanings of the typical voter tend to change as well. The midterm electorate tends to be older than the presidential electorate. In the last three midterm elections, Americans ages 45 and older made up 61, 63 and 64 percent of the electorate. In the last three presidential elections, that group made up only 55, 53 and 55 percent of the electorate.

With younger voters leaning more Democratic than Republican in recent years, this tends to advantage the GOP in midterm elections.

Another trend in midterm elections is for the president’s party to lose seats, which has happened

in 40 of the 43 midterm elections since 1842 – the exceptions being 1934, 1998 and 2002.

House Overview. Democrats need to net 17 seats to take back control of the House from the Republicans. Due to House district boundaries, they probably would need to win nationwide by more than 7 percent to do that. To illustrate, Democrats earned 48.8 percent of the House vote in 2012 to 47.6 percent earned by Republicans, but only came away with 201 seats, to 234 for the GOP. As a result of overwhelming Republican gains in state-level elections in 2010, the redistricting that occurs after every census was more often controlled by Republicans than Democrats. Except in states such as Iowa and California, in which neutral commissions decide redistricting, the party in control (whether Republican, as in North Carolina, or Democratic, as in Maryland) will almost invariably gerrymander districts to improve their own congressional representation.

With the advantages of incumbency (especially the ability to raise money to run campaigns),

along with dynamics of midterms and the makeup of House districts, the deck is stacked against House Democrats in 2014.

Senate Overview. In the Senate, where elections for each seat come only every six years or when there is a vacancy, the makeup of the rotation of seats can vary significantly from election to election. In 2014, six years after a strong 2008 election for Democrats, the slate of 36 seats favors Republicans. Many of the seats Democrats are defending lie in states that have voted overwhelmingly Republican in recent presidential elections.

That is not to say voters cannot elect senators that fit the ideological views of the state’s voters more than the ideological views of the party with which they are affiliated – in fact, they often do, particularly in Senate races, where voters often know more about the individual candidates than in House races. But all else being equal, it is easier to get elected in a state that votes more often with the party with which you are affiliated.

—By John Hatton, Deputy Legislative Director

NARFE-PAC: Our defense fund WITH ELECTIONS AROUND THE CORNER, NARFE-PAC’s clout shows now more than during any other time of the year. After the elections, another round of budget fights is sure to threaten federal employee and retiree interests once again. We’ll need all the help we can get when that happens.

Please help by giving now to NARFE-PAC, “The Federal Employee and Retiree Defense Fund,” before it’s too late. Use the contribution form on p. 15 to contribute to NARFE-PAC today!

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Washington Watch

registrATION OPENS FOR NARFE’S 2015 LEGISLATIVE TRAINING CONFERENCE

R

egistration will open October 1 for the 2015 Legislative Training Conference.

The conference, March 14-17, offers NARFE leaders and grassroots activists the opportunity to learn from NARFE Legislative Department staff, hear from national speakers and network with fellow NARFE advocates. It centers around the chance to go to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and staff on the conference’s last day.

Conference Registration.

The $175 registration fee includes three buffet breakfasts, two full lunches, one buffet dinner, all materials, and transportation to and from Capitol Hill. “Ten Percent Funds” should be used to help offset the cost of registration.

To register, mail the form on p. 11 to NARFE Headquarters, or register online at www.narfe.org.

Deadline is February 3, 2015; the

fee is nonrefundable.

In addition to hands-on training to prepare them for Capitol Hill meetings, participants will learn about the issues facing the federal community, NARFE’s legislative agenda and how to organize locally.

New this year, NARFE legislative staff will provide an orientation on Saturday evening for first-time participants.

Also new in 2015, the conference will wrap up on Monday evening with a reception that also will provide the opportunity to ask questions of NARFE staff before the next day’s visit to Capitol Hill and return home.

Hotel Information and Reservations. The conference will take place at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Crystal City, VA. The special room rate is $175, plus 10.25 percent state and local occupancy taxes,

for a total of $192.94 a night for single- and double-room occupancy. The rate is available for three days before and after the conference, depending on available space. The hotel is within walking distance of restaurants, shopping and Washington’s Metro subway system. It is 1.5 miles from Ronald Reagan National Airport and provides a shuttle to the airport.

NARFE has negotiated a discounted self-parking rate of $15 a day for NARFE members.

Hotel reservations are available online or by calling 800-4689571. Tell the operator you are attending the “NARFE National Executive Board and Legislative Conference.” The deadline for making reservations using the NARFE discount is February 3.

More information is available online at www.narfe.org.

—By Sarah Weissmann, Grass-Roots Program Manager

‘NO BOUNDARIES’ IN ADVOCACY WITH PARTNERS Editor’s Note: The NARFE Legislative Department continues its “best practices” columns by highlighting Gary Roundtree, Sr., Maryland Federation first vice president for legislation, who works with NARFE’s coalition partners.

T

he concept of “No Boundaries” at the grass-roots level means that an advocate should not hesitate to get out of his or her comfort zone and reach out to NARFE’s federal coalition partners. This means

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working together and organizing with them to develop an effective strategy and tactics for furthering NARFE’s legislative agenda.

Recently, I worked with members of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare to oppose the Chained CPI. This and other joint advocacy efforts have taught me to “Go out on the limb – that’s where the fruit is.”

There will never be a right time to start your outreach. If you wait for conditions to be exactly right, you will lose the opportunity to

make an impact on important and often fast-moving legislative issues.

Remember: Passion is powerful. My passion for networking propels me to work with NARFE’s coalition partners and other organizations. Business guru Tim Redmond said, “There are many things that will catch my eye, but there are only a very few that catch my heart … It is those I consider to pursue.” I work with members of other groups to pursue our mutual legislative goals.

—By Gary Roundtree, Sr.

NARFE 2015 Legislative

TRAINING CONFERENCE

March 14-17, 2015

Registration must be returned by February 3, 2015

REGISTRATION FORM

Each participant must complete a form. Please write legibly.

Name:

o Mr. o Mrs.

o Miss

o Ms. o Dr.

_______________________________ Last

NARFE Membership # ______________________

________________________

___________________________

First

Middle

Name as you would like it to appear on badge: _________________________________________________ Federation or chapter officer title for your badge (choose only one title — Examples: President, Ohio Federation; or NARFE-PAC Chair, Chapter 192/Raleigh, NC): ___________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Home address: ____________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ Preferred phone: _____________________________ Email address: ______________________________ Notify in case of emergency: ________________________________________________________________ Name

$175 registration fee is not refundable.

Please complete registration form and return with check made payable to NARFE, or charge to your credit card.

Phone number

o Charge to my credit card $____________ o MasterCard

o VISA

Exp. Date ________ / _______ (mm)

(yy)

Name on card (print) ________________________________ Signature ________________________ Date ____________

For Internal Planning Purposes Only:

For Internal Planning of March 17 on Capitol Hill:

Conference meals and events are included for registered attendees.

Are you planning on attending the Saturday night dinner? o Yes

o No

Are you planning on attending the breakfasts on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday? o Yes o No Registered attendees may bring guests to all NARFE-provided meals for a separate $175 fee. Will you have a guest? o Yes o No Name of guest(s) _______________________________________________ Is this your first NARFE Legislative Training Conference?

o Yes

o No

I am a(n): o Active Federal Employee o Active Federal Employee Spouse o Annuitant Spouse

o AMEX

Card # ____________________________________________

Mail to: NARFE Legislative Conference Budget & Finance 606 North Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314-1914

o Annuitant

o Discover

o Survivor Annuitant

Can NARFE include your name, chapter and title on a list of attendees that will be distributed to participants? o Yes o No

Do you plan to ride the NARFE-provided bus to Capitol Hill on March 17? o Yes o No Do you plan to return to the hotel from Capitol Hill on the bus later that afternoon? o Yes o No What time do you plan to leave Capitol Hill? _______________________

Washington Watch

narfe bill tracker The NARFE bill TRACKER is your monthly guide to the congressional legislation that NARFE is following. Check back each issue for updates.

ISSUE

Bill Number / Name / Sponsor H.R. 26: Deferred Benefits Adjustment Act of 2013 / Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez, D-NY Cosponsors: 1 (D)

DEFERRED ANNUITIES

supporting federal employees

H.Res. 388: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives supporting federal employees / Rep. Marcia L. Fudge, D-OH

What Bill Would Do

Latest Action(s)

Provides for indexing of deferred annuities, including survivor annuities, and for individuals becoming subject to the Federal Employees Retirement System by election. Terminates the entitlement of a survivor who remarries before age 55 to an annuity based on the service of a deferred annuitant who dies before establishing a valid claim for a Civil Service Retirement System annuity.

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Recognizes that the work that federal employees perform should be honored and respected. Outlines several ways Congress should not target federal employees.

Referred to House Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and Ways and Means

narfe, April 2013, p. 9

narfe, January 2014, p. 10

Cosponsors: 42 (D) H.R. 4306: FAIR (Federal Provides federal employees Adjustment of Income with a 3.3 percent pay raise Rates) Act / Rep. Gerald in 2015.

E. Connolly, D-VA Federal Compensation

Paid Parental Leave

Pension scam protection

Cosponsors: 29 (D) S. 2397: FAIR (Federal Adjustment of Income Rates) Act / Sen. Brian Schatz, D-HI

Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Cosponsors: 1 (D)

narfe, August 2014, p. 7

H.R. 517: Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2013 / Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-NY Cosponsors: 24 (D)

H.R. 3310: Annuity Safety and Security Under Reasonable Enforcement Act of 2013 / Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-PA Cosponsors: 54 (D)

Allows federal employees to substitute, for four weeks, any available paid leave for any leave without pay available for either the birth of a child or placement of a child for either adoption or foster care.

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Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Requires appropriate disReferred to four House closures regarding “pension committees advance” schemes and caps the interest rates on these narfe, January 2014, p. 11 advances. Also creates a private right of action to allow individuals to enforce these laws in court.

NARFE’s Position: 12

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Support

Oppose

No position

ISSUE

Bill Number / Name / Sponsor H.R. 1367: FEHBP Prescription Drug Integrity, Transparency, and Cost Savings Act / Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, D-MA Cosponsors: 3 (D)

Health Care

H.R. 1780: To provide that the only health plans that the federal government may make available to the president, vice president, members of Congress and federal employees are those created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or offered through a health insurance exchange / Rep. Dave Camp, R-MI

What Bill Would Do

Latest Action(s)

Provides the Office of Personnel Management greater oversight authority over the prescription drug contracting and pricing methods of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Removes federal employees from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and places them in the health exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act.

Referred to the House Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Energy and Commerce, and Administration

narfe, June 2013, p. 9

narfe, July 2013, p. 15

Cosponsors: 30 (R) H.R. 3319: Equal Healthcare Access Act / Rep. Darrell Issa, R-CA Cosponsors: 1 (D), 8 (R)

Requires the Office of Personnel Management to administer a health insurance plan for nonfederal employees under the existing Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

Referred to House Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means narfe, January 2014, p. 9

H.R. 1795: Social Security Fairness Act of 2013 / Rep. Rodney Davis, R-IL GPO/WEP

combat zone tax parity

FEDERAL PENSIONS

Cosponsors: 92 (D), 39 (R)

Repeals both the Government Referred to the Pension Offset (GPO) and the House Committee on Windfall Elimination Provision Ways and Means (WEP).

S. 896: Social Security Fairness Act of 2013 / Sen. Mark Begich, D-AK

Referred to the Senate Finance Committee

Cosponsors: 15 (D), 3 (R), 1 (I)

narfe, July 2013, p. 16

H.R. 4621: Federal Employee Combat Zone Tax Parity Act / Rep. Rob Wittman, R-VA Cosponsors: 1 (D), 1 (R) S. 1678: Public-Private Employee Retirement Parity Act / Sen. Richard Burr, R-NC Cosponsors: 2 (R)

Extends the tax credit availReferred to the able to military personnel who House Committee on serve in combat zones to civil- Ways and Means ian employees. narfe, July 2014, p. 6 Eliminates the defined-benefit portion of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), leaving only Social Security and the Thrift Savings Plan for FERS employees in retirement.

Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs narfe, February 2014, p. 8

(Continued on p. 14) w w w. n a r f e . o r g

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13

Washington Watch

narfe bill tracker (Continued from p. 13) ISSUE

Bill Number / Name / Sponsor H.R. 630: The Postal Service Protection Act / Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-OR Cosponsors: 176 (D), 9 (R)

What Bill Would Do

Latest action(s)

Eliminates the future retiree health benefit prefunding requirement, protects six-day mail delivery and prevents the closure of rural post offices.

Referred to House Committees on Oversight and Government Reform and Judiciary

S. 316: The Postal Service Protection Act / Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT

Referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Cosponsors: 31 (D)

postal reform

H.R. 2748: Postal Reform Act / Rep. Darrell Issa, R-CA Cosponsors: 2 (R)

S. 1486: Postal Reform Act / Sen. Thomas R. Carper, D-DE Cosponsors: 1 (R)

H.R. 4193: Smart Savings Act / Rep. Darrell Issa, R-CA Cosponsors: 4 (D), 2 (R) Thrift Savings Plan

Moves the U.S. Postal Service to five-day mail delivery, removes protections for injured workers and eliminates tothe-door delivery in favor of cluster boxes.

Approved by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on 7/24/13

Threatens integrity of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program by removing postal workers and retirees, cuts workers’ compensation benefits and eliminates Federal Employees Retirement System pension for new hires.

Amended and approved by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 2/6/14

New federal employees automatically enrolled in the Thrift Savings Plan would have their funds deposited in the L (Lifecycle) Fund instead of the G Fund.

Passed by the House 7/14/14

S. 2117: Smart Savings Act / Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA

H.R. 3744: Federal Employee Pay Restoration Act / Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-WA

Provides back pay to federal employees who were furloughed as a result of sequestration.

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Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services narfe, May 2014, p. 8

Cosponsors: 2 (D), 1 (R)

NARFE’s Position: 14

narfe, September 2014, p. 6

Approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on 6/25/14

Cosponsors: 2 (D), 2 (R)

Federal Employee Back Pay

narfe, April 2014, p. 6

Support

Oppose

No position

ISSUE

Bill Number / Name / Sponsor

H.R. 4202: CPI-E Act of 2014 / Rep. Mike Honda, D-CA ANNUITY COLA

REPEAL FERS CONTRIBUTION INCREASES

Cosponsors: None

H.R. 5338: Federal Employee Pension Fairness Act / Donna Edwards, D-MD Cosponsors: 9 (D)

What Bill Would Do

Latest action(s)

Requires the use of the Referred to three Consumer Price Index for the House committees Elderly (CPI-E) instead of the current CPI-W to determine narfe, May 2014, p. 8 cost-of-living adjustments for federal civilian annuities, military retirement and certain veterans’ benefits.

Repeals laws passed in 2012 and 2013 that increased the Federal Employees Retirement System contributions for newly hired federal employees.

2013-14_PAC_Coupon_2013 Coupon 4/1/14 9:47 AM Page 1

Referred to House Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, and Foreign Affairs narfe, September 2014, p. 8

NARFE-PAC CONTRIBUTION FORM Name: _____________________________________ NARFE Member Number: ______________________ I would like to make a one-time contribution of: q $100 Gold (qualifies for Gold 2013-14 NARFE-PAC lapel pin and a blue NARFE-PAC LEADER hat)

q $50 Silver (qualifies for Silver 2013-2014 NARFE-PAC lapel pin) q $20 Basic (qualifies for Basic 2013-2014 NARFE-PAC lapel pin) q Other: ______ -orI would like to be a Sustainer and make a monthly credit card contribution to NARFE-PAC of: q $25/month q $10/month

q Please find my check or money order enclosed payable to NARFE-PAC q Please charge to my credit card (required for monthly contribution) Credit Card Information Type: q MasterCard q VISA q Discover q AMEX Card #: ________________________________ Expiration Date: ____ / ____ Name on Card:__________________________ Signature: ______________________________ Date: __________________________________

q Other: ______/month (minimum of $10) Monthly contributions qualify you to receive a NARFE-PAC Sustainer lapel pin along with a blue NARFE-PAC LEADER hat.

q I do not want to receive any gifts for my contribution marked above.

Mail to: National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association Attn: NARFE-PAC 606 North Washington St. | Alexandria, VA 22314

Only members of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association may contribute to NARFE-PAC. NARFE will neither favor nor disadvantage anyone based on the amount of a contribution or the failure to make a voluntary contribution to this political action fund. NARFE-PAC contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

w w w. n a r f e . o r g

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15

Questions & Answers

The following Questions & Answers were compiled by NARFE’s Federal Benefits Service Department staff.

NARFE does not provide legal, financial planning, or tax advice or assistance.

employees Eligibility for FERS Annuity Supplement

Q

I will be age 58 with 28 years and 11 months of service when I retire. Will I be eligible for the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Annuity Supplement?

A

A FERS employee who retires voluntarily is eligible for a FERS Annuity Supplement under one of two conditions. Either the employee must have reached his or her minimum retirement age (MRA) and have 30 years of service, or the employee must be age 60 with 20 years of service. The MRA for a FERS employee ranges from age 55 to age 57. You have attained your MRA. But you will not have met the service requirement.

You could still retire under the MRA + 10 provision for FERS employees and receive an immediate annuity. Your annuity would be reduced by 5 percent for each year that you are under the age of 62, and you would not receive the

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FERS Annuity Supplement.

You also could postpone applying for your annuity until you reach age 62 and avoid the reduction in your annuity. However, you would not be covered by health or life insurance until your annuity begins if you meet the five-year requirement to carry your insurance into retirement.

Exceptions apply to law enforcement, firefighters and air traffic control specialists, who must retire at a certain age.

last-minute voluntary contributions

Q

I’d like some information about Voluntary Contributions. I have heard

you have a one-time shot after or right before you retire (like a week before?) to put in 20 percent (or something) of your lifetime savings if you want. I’ve also heard that you can manage the account like an investment account or a Roth IRA or 401(k) – tax-free for life. Where can I find out about this?

A

Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) employees who do not owe deposits for temporary service or for refund of CSRS contributions may make Voluntary Contributions.

Your contributions are limited to 10 percent of your lifetime salary with the federal government on the date you start your contributions.

You may make contributions to the account immediately, and you will earn interest on January 1 of each year.

If you are trying to avoid accruing interest on this money, you’ll

need to submit your application for a refund about 60 days prior to your retirement date.

To make Voluntary Contributions, go to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website at www.opm.gov, select “Forms” and then select SF-2804. After you complete the form, submit it to your agency; OPM will notify you when your account is established.

To apply for a refund, use form RI 38-124, which is on the OPM website. The form also provides instructions for rolling the money into an IRA or eligible employer plan.

retirees CSRS Offset and Social Security

Q

I retired in 2007 with almost 30 years of government service. I am classified as a GS 1811 CSRS-Offset. I will be age 62 in November. Am I required to register with Social Security before my 62nd birthday, or can I wait until I’m age 66, my full retirement age for Social Security?

I believe the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) will apply to me.

Will this decrease the amount of pension I have been receiving?

A

You are correct that your Social Security benefit may be reduced by the WEP if you have less than 30 years of substantial earnings where you paid Social Security taxes on your wages.

Since Social Security benefits statements do not reflect the application of the WEP, you must contact the

Social Security Administration to obtain your benefit.

OPM will reduce your annuity when you reach age 62 and become eligible for a Social Security benefit. This doesn’t mean that you have to apply for your Social Security benefit. You may still postpone applying until you reach 66, your full retirement age, to receive a higher benefit.

You will need to look at your financial situation to determine if you can afford to live on your reduced annuity. Many retirees decide to begin receiving their Social Security benefit at 62 to make up for the reduction in their annuity.

electing survivor benefit as retiree

Q

I am a retiree and plan to remarry soon. You explained to me that I could place my new spouse on my health insurance plan under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program within 60 days of the date of my marriage. You also told me that if I wanted her to continue coverage under my health plan if I predecease her, I would need to elect a survivor benefit for her. I have looked all over the Web and cannot locate the form that I need to make that election. Would you please tell me what form to use?

A

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) didn’t create a form for the election of survivor benefits for retirees. You will need to write OPM a letter with your election.

Mail the letter to OPM, Retirement Operations Center, P.O. Box 45, Boyers, PA 16017.

Be sure to include your CSA number, a copy of your marriage certificate and methods for OPM staff to contact you if they have questions. OPM will not act on your election until nine months after the date of your marriage because you must meet the ninemonth marriage requirement before your spouse is eligible for a survivor benefit.

‘Tri-coverage dilemma’: fehbp, medicare and VA

Q

I read the article titled “The Dual Coverage Dilemma”

by Tammy Flanagan in the May 2014 issue of narfe magazine. It was a very informative article.

I am a 64-year-old federal retiree. I have Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BC/BS) basic option under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). I also am enrolled as Priority Group 6 with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health benefits.

The VA is very accessible to me where I live. I currently use both the VA and my private doctor for health benefits, depending on which is more beneficial/ economical.

My situation, and that of other federal retirees, is a little bit different from dual coverage.

It’s more of a “Tri-Coverage Dilemma.” Next year, I will be eligible for Medicare. I would very much appreciate your opinion as to the best course of action I should pursue and why. w w w. n a r f e . o r g

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17

Questions & Answers

A

First, we suggest you read our extensive article on the subject of FEHBP and Medicare on the NARFE website, www.narfe.org, under the Federal Benefits Department heading.

Your decision on whether or not to enroll in Medicare when you become eligible rests primarily on your health and your finances.

Basically, Medicare coverage duplicates the benefits you already have under the FEHBP, with the important exception of prescription drug benefits, which Medicare Part B does not cover.

Medicare Part A, hospital coverage, is free and you should not decline it. Medicare Part B, medical and physician coverage, comes with a monthly premium. The basic premium this year is $104.90 but could be more depending on your income. Enrollment in Part B is voluntary – you don’t have to be enrolled unless the VA coverage you have requires you to enroll.

You stated your FEHBP enrollment is with BC/BS Basic, so you are already saving out-of-pocket expenses as long as you use a BC/ BS Preferred Provider. Enrolling in Medicare Part B gives you the option of obtaining services from a doctor or facility outside of the BC/BS network and still have the medical bills partially paid by Medicare.

If you are in good health and only use your benefit under BC/BS and the VA for routine appointments or tests, you should ask yourself whether it is worth the additional $1,200 a year to enroll in Medicare Part B. Do you need the duplicate health coverage? You can always decline Part B when you are first eligible and sign up for it later. However, your premium costs from then on would

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be 10 percent higher for each 12-month period you were not enrolled though you were eligible for enrollment. Keep in mind that if you delay enrolling in Part B, you have saved $1,200 a year; it will take a long time for the additional 10 percent on the Part B premium to equal what you have saved.

DOD retiree id card

Q

I retired from the Department of Defense (DOD) as a civilian. Is there an identification card for retirees like me so that I can use it to get into a DOD facility? If so, how do I get one?

A

Yes, there is an ID card for retired DOD employees.

The Retiree ID does not guarantee civilian retirees access to DOD bases or facilities within the United States or its territories or possessions. Installation commanders retain the authority to restrict access to or use of Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) facilities for reasons such as local demand, facility capacity and security concerns.

The ID cards must be renewed every four years. Presently, there is no charge for the cards. Spouses and dependents are not eligible for the cards.

Here is how you get one: You must go to a Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS) facility and provide a federal- or state-issued picture ID; another acceptable form of ID (listed on the Office of Management and Budget I-9 document); and a Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing that you are retired from a Department of Defense service component or agency. Visit

www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-9.pdf for more information on acceptable forms of identification. For information on RAPIDS facility locations, see the site locator at www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/.

Health care Plan “conversion”

Q

I need information about health care “conversion.”

My Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) health insurance benefit is being terminated, and I am trying to change it to a private plan.

My last correspondence with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was in February. On August 2, I got my OPM letter with the notice of termination of benefits. It has an effective date of June 30, 2014, and the letter itself is dated July 25, 2014. It states I have 31 days to convert my health care coverage from the effective date, which would have been July 31. The letter is a little late.

I called Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BC/BS), and they have not received any notice of termination for my health coverage. What is my last day of health insurance coverage with OPM? The earliest I can get conversion coverage with BC/BS is August 15, if I apply by August 14.

A

The FEHBP law requires coverage to terminate when eligibility for a monthly annuity or survivor benefit terminates. As an example, this can happen if a survivor remarries prior to age 55 or if a disability retiree exceeds the earnings limitation for a calendar year. However, the law also allows individuals whose enrollment ter-

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Questions & Answers

minates the opportunity to “convert” their federal group health insurance coverage under FEHBP to a private insurance coverage through the federal plan they were enrolled with at the time coverage terminates.

The opportunity to convert to a private plan through the enrollee’s current health plan is the responsibility of the enrollee whose FEHBP coverage terminates. The enrollee has to contact his or her plan to arrange this. The following is from OPM’s Federal Employees Health Benefits Handbook: Conversion for Enrollees.

When your enrollment terminates, your employing office must give you a notice of your

ROC3137NARFEhalfAds.indd 1 O C T 2 0 14

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right to convert to an individual policy on the Notice of Change in Health Benefits Enrollment form (SF 2810). Your employing office should provide you with this notice immediately upon your enrollment termination, but no later than 60 days from the termination date.

To apply for conversion, follow the instructions on the back of your copy of the SF 2810 and write to the carrier of your plan within 31 days from the date of your employing office’s notice to you (part H of SF 2810), but no later than 91 days from the date your enrollment terminates (Part A, item 8 of SF 2810).

Late Conversion. When your

employing office doesn’t give you the required conversion notice within 60 days, or you aren’t able to request conversion on time for reasons beyond your control, you can request a late conversion by writing directly to the carrier of your plan.

You must send your request within six months after the date your enrollment terminated. Your request must: • Include some documentation that your enrollment has terminated (for example, an SF 50 showing separation from service); • Include proof that you were not notified of the enrollment termination and the right to convert (for example, a letter from your

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NARFE at Your Service employing office confirming that it did not provide timely notice of the conversion option), and were not otherwise aware of it, or • Include proof that you weren’t able to convert because of reasons beyond your control.

If six months or more have passed since the date you became eligible to convert, the carrier of your plan is not required to accept a request for conversion.

If the carrier accepts your request for a late conversion, you must enroll and pay your first premium within 31 days of the carrier’s notice. If you don’t convert within this time period, you are considered to have waived your conversion rights, unless the

carrier determines that you did not convert for reasons beyond your control. If the carrier determines that your failure to convert was within your control, you may request that OPM review its decision. To request an OPM review, write to U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Healthcare and Insurance, P.O. Box 436, Washington, DC 20044.

To obtain an answer to a federal benefits question, NARFE members should call 703-838-7760 and ask for the Federal Benefits Service Department; send your question by postal mail to NARFE Headquarters, ATTN: Federal Benefits; or submit it by email to fedbenefits@narfe.org.

NARFE service officers are available to answer questions and to assist in helping with a variety of benefit matters. Check your chapter newsletter for the name and phone number of your service officer. For the nearest service officer, call NARFE (toll-free) at:

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NARFE Service Centers also are available in some areas. Use the Service Center listings on the NARFE website,

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Open Season Report

o

pen season Report

PREVIEW

This is the first of a three-part series.

T

he 2014 Federal Benefits Open Season will run from Monday, November 10, through Monday, December 8.

During Open Season, federal employees may enroll or change their current enrollments in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), the Federal Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). Federal retirees and survivors may make changes to their current enrollment under FEHBP and FEDVIP. Importantly, Open Season is the only time of the year when enrollees in FEDVIP can cancel their enrollment.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will release information regarding the 2015 premiums and benefit changes for the insurance plans participating in these federal programs in the near future and well ahead of the starting date to give everyone enough time to study the options and make a change if they want.

NARFE will publish the new premium rates and information in both the November and December issues of narfe magazine.

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What we know now

Every year, OPM issues a “call letter” to participating health insurance plans, alerting them to submit their benefit and premium rate proposals for the next plan year. The letter also sets out OPM’s program policy goals and initiatives for that plan year. For 2015, OPM told plans the focus again will be on optimizing delivery of prescription drug benefits, enhancing wellness programs, advancing quality of care, ensuring mental health parity, aligning the program with the Affordable Care Act, and encouraging programs and benefits that promote enrollment in Medicare Part B. One initiative OPM expects all participating plans to have implemented by the 2016 plan year is a prescription drug cost calculator to allow current and prospective enrollees to compare the cost of prescription drugs that they use.

Plans are also required to

provide all preventive services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force with no enrollee cost-sharing, as required by the Affordable Care Act. OPM also informed plans that to comply with Internal Revenue Service guidelines, high-deductible health plans’ out-of-pocket maximum for 2015 cannot exceed $6,600 for self-only and $13,200 for family enrollments.

FEDVIP Rule Change

Effective August 15, federal employees and retirees will be allowed to make enrollment changes under FEDVIP when they get married or return to work after certain periods of leave without pay. Prior to this, these changes could be made only during Open Season. This better aligns FEDVIP policy with FEHBP. For OPM’s tips on Open Season enrollment, see p. 26.

Open Season information will be posted at www.opm.gov/ healthcare-insurance/healthcare before Open Season begins. For health or dental/vision plan brochures, click “Healthcare” or “Dental & Vision” on the left of the page, then click “Plan Information.”

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Open Season Report

The intent of this diagram is to provide you with a general understanding of how the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) and the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) work together. For specific information on each Program, visit www.opm.gov/insure.

Circle ‘Round Your Benefits

How to Get the Most Value from the Programs

FEDVIP Checklist FEHBP Checklist 4 If you are enrolled in a dental 4 Check to see if your current health Circle vision ‘Round Yourcheck Benefits and/or plan, the plan is leaving the program next year or FEHB rams How to Get the Most fromnext the Programs premium youValue will pay if its service area is changing.

Comprehensive medical insurance Dental benefits may be included year.

Vision benefits may be included Open Season checklists 4 Check the premium you will pay next 4 If you are enrolled, review year for your current health plan. your current plan’s The Office of Personnel ManFEHB benefit Comprehensive medical insurance brochure to see what changes 4 Review your current health plan’s agement provided benefits Dental benefits may be FEHB included and FSA FEDVIP what were made for covered ser2015 benefit brochureFEHBtoandsee Vision benefits may be Save included money on eligible out-of-pocket personnel with checklists Lower your out-of-pocket costs on When you have FEHB and an changes weredental vices and supplies. expenses. made for covered serand vision expenses with FEDVIP FSA, you can use money in your FSA coverage in addition to FEHB for federal employees to use to pay for your eligible FEHB vices and supplies.

See out-ofcoverage.

Your FEHBif planyour will be out-of-pocket expenses (such as the first payer for any copayments and coinsurance) during Open Season. NARFE 4 See if your out-of-pocket pocket costs are changing. dental and/or vision benefit and qualified medical costs payments they may care expenses FEHB, FEDVIP, and FSA costs are changing. andthathealth also cover. includes tips here from the your FEHB may Save money on eligible out-of-pocket dental and vision FEHB and FSA EHB and FEDVIP and FEDVIP not cover (such as FEHB expenses. When you have FEHB, FEDVIP, and anwhat FSA, your 4 Determine is the best type of Save money on eligible out-of-pocket of-pocket costs on Lower your out-of-pocket costs on checklists for the Federal chiropractic or FEHB plan will be the first payer of any benefit payments. expenses. When you have FEHB and an enses with FEDVIP dental and vision expenses with FEDVIP hearing You can usehealth your FSA to pay for any eligible out-of-pocket 4 inYou plan for you: Fee-for-Service can use money your FSA can quickly compare addition to FEHB The intent of this diagram isFSA, to you provide FEDVIP coverage in addition to FEHB aids). expenses not covered by your FEHB or FEDVIP plan.

Employees Health Benefits FSAFEDS to pay for your eligible FEHB EHB plan will be coverage. Your FEHB plan will be you with a general understanding of expenses - comprehensive Circle ‘Round Your Benefits dental vision plans Plan, Health MaintenanceDental Organization out-of-pocket (such as and st payer for any the first payer for any Save money using tax-freeby lookhow theand Federal Employees copayments and coinsurance) dental insurance (such as free r vision benefit Program (FEHBP) the Health dental and/or vision benefit dollars. can put aside $100 ingcostsat Appendix I of the “2015 Plan, High Deductible Health Plan, or and qualified medical How toYouGet the Most Value from nts they may Benefits (FEHB) Program, the Federal payments they may the Programs semi-annual cleanings), and health care expenses FEHB, FEDVIP, and FSA dollars per also cover. to $2,500 in pre-tax also cover.

Federal Employees Dental Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Guide to Federal Benefits” Consumer Driven Health Plan. and/or that your FEHB may Save money on eligible out-of-pocket dental and vision to pay for eligible health care Program (FEDVIP) and the Federal not cover (such as expenses. Whenyear you have FEHB, FEDVIP, and an FSA, your (www.opm.gov/healthcareVision - comprehensive vision and Vision Insurance Program andofitems for payments. you and FEHB plan will beservices the first payer any benefit Flexible Spending Account Program chiropractic or hearing You can use your FSA to pay for anythat eligible insurance (such as plans yearly FSA andcan FEDVIP FEDVIP your family areout-of-pocket not paid FEDVIP (FSAFEDS) work together. For specific aids). insurance/healthcare/plan4 You quickly compare health expenses not covered by your FEHB or FEDVIP plan.

FSAFEDS Save money on eligible out-of-pocket dental and vision eye exam) Dental - comprehensive (FEDVIP). by your health, dental, or information on each Program, visit - comprehensive expensesDental after FEDVIP payments. When you have an Save money using tax-free information/guides).

For a by looking at Appendix E of the “2015 dental insurance (such as free vision insurance. www.opm.gov/insure.

FSA andinsurance FEDVIP, you can use money in your FSA FEHB dental (such as free dollars. You can put aside $100more detailed review of differ- to pay for your eligible FEDVIP out-of-pocket semi-annual cleanings), Guide Federal Benefits.” For a more Comprehensive medical insurance semi-annualto cleanings), expenses (such as copayments and to $2,500 in pre-tax dollars per *Information on a and/or Dental benefits may be included and/or coinsurance) and eligible expenses ent plans, go to www.opm.gov/ detailed review of different plans, go to year to pay for eligible health care Dependent Care FSA is at that your FEDVIP plan Vision benefits may beVision included Vision - comprehensive vision -www.opm.gov/insure comprehensive vision may not cover. services and items for you and www.FSAFEDS.com insure and use the “Compare and use the “Cominsurance (such as yearly insurance (such as yearly FSA and FEDVIP your family that are not paid Savetool money on or eligiblea out-of-pocket and vision tool dental provided by pare eye Health eye exam) exam) Plans” tool or tools provided by your health, dental, or Plans” expenses after FEDVIP payments. When you have an vision insurance.

by PlanSmartChoice and Checkbook .

UHC3454 FedNARFEad_Layout 1 7/23/14 2:13 PMPlanSmartChoice.

Page FSA 1 and FEDVIP, you can use money in your FSA The intent of this diagram is to provide you with a general understanding of how the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) and the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) work together. For specific information on each Program, visit www.opm.gov/insure.

*Information on a Dependent Care FSA is at www.FSAFEDS.com

July 2014

FSAFEDS

to pay for your eligible FEDVIP out-of-pocket expenses (such as copayments and coinsurance) and eligible expenses FEHB and FSA FEHB and FEDVIP yourout-of-pocket FEDVIP plan Save money onthat eligible Lower your out-of-pocket costs on may notFEHB cover. expenses. When you have and an dental and vision expenses with FEDVIP FSA, you can use money in your FSA coverage in addition to FEHB to pay for your eligible FEHB coverage. Your FEHB plan will be out-of-pocket expenses (such as the first payer for any copayments and coinsurance) dental and/or vision benefit and qualified medical costs payments they may and health care expenses FEHB, FEDVIP, and FSA also cover. that your FEHB may Save money on eligible out-of-pocket dental and vision not cover (such as expenses. When you have FEHB, FEDVIP, and an FSA, your chiropractic or FEHB plan will be the first payer of any benefit payments. hearing You can use your FSA to pay for any eligible out-of-pocket aids). expenses not covered by your FEHB or FEDVIP plan.

Save money using tax-free dollars. You can put aside $100 to $2,500 in pre-tax dollars per year to pay for eligible health care services and items for you and your family that are not paid by your health, dental, or vision insurance.

July 2014

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eye exam) UnitedHealthcare Vision offers two plans that include an annual comprehensive eye exam, savings on progressive no-line bifocals, and much more! Whatever your individual or family need is we make it easy to maintain healthy eyes andJuly 2014 save money while you’re at it. Protect the precious gift of sight and your overall health.

Save money on eligible out-of-pocket dental and vision expenses after FEDVIP payments. When you have an FSA and FEDVIP, you can use money in your FSA to pay for your eligible FEDVIP out-of-pocket expenses (such as copayments and *Information on a coinsurance) and eligible expenses Dependent Care FSA is at that your FEDVIP plan may not cover. www.FSAFEDS.com

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The Informed Citizen

Vote Analysis: Holding Legislators to account

R

epresentative government requires informed electors.

As provided in Article 1, Section 5, of the Constitution, members of Congress cast recorded votes. Citizens are able to use knowledge of these votes when casting their ballot.

The compilation on the adjacent 12 pages provides information to inform, but not determine, your voting calculus. Located as a centerfold, we trust you will read it now and detach it for repeated uses, including publicity and recruitment.

Nine House, Three Senate Votes NARFE staff reviewed more than 1,121 House and 547 Senate roll calls cast between January 3, 2013, and August 1, 2014, to find nine House and three Senate votes where current and future federal retiree interests were most clearly at stake. The House votes, the most ever selected, include federal pay, budget resolutions, contractingout and whether to end the government shutdown. In fact, four budget resolution votes are shown because each targeted the federal family for sacrifice not asked of others or was not balanced as recommended by formal and informal fiscal commissions. Like almost all action and inaction on Capitol Hill, voting is more polarized than ever.

Chamber Comparisons The vote descriptions and itemized votes are part of NARFE’s contract with Congressional Quarterly, the authoritative and impartial print and electronic

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publisher. Editing for space and impact on NARFE members was required. In a departure from 2010 and 2012, two of the three Senate votes followed House votes on identical content. This allows chamber comparisons especially useful in Arkansas, Colorado and Louisiana, where an incumbent representative is challenging an incumbent senator. Our 2012 compilation, available to members on the NARFE website, www.narfe.org, can be used with this edition to compare the records of several former members of Congress seeking a comeback.

Recent Votes Itemized, Career Votes Summarized The Legislative Action Center on the NARFE website provides “Vote Scorecards” for the current Congress and each Congress back to the 108th (2003-2004).

However, the combination of itemized votes cast during 20132014 and summary of all votes back to 1982 makes this compilation unique.

By Christopher Farrell, Legislative Representative

The 113th Congress (20132014) votes are itemized, then summarized as a percent in support of the NARFE position.

Following that percentage, we show the “career” information.

First, the number of votes since we began in 1982 to the present in support of the NARFE position, next the number of votes opposing the NARFE position and, finally, the career percent in support of the NARFE position.

Helping NARFE Vote NARFE members consider voting a right and a duty. Consequently, turnout by NARFE members is higher than other seniors, especially in a midterm election. Many chapters help their members get to the polls on or before election day. Early voting and absentee voting need to be used to allow every NARFE member to have his/her vote count.

Empowerment, Not Endorsement This biennial feature — the largest and longest-running in this publication — serves many purposes, but endorsement is not among them. NARFE does not endorse candidates but rather seeks to empower federal employees and retirees to be informed voters and their own best advocates. Congressional behavior should inform our own.

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

How they voted:

113th Congress So that NARFE members may be as informed as possible about the 399 representatives and 28 senators seeking re-election to Congress, and how these men and women have represented the concerns of current and future federal retirees, we are publishing this compilation of voting of the 113th Congress (2013-2014). The vote descriptions below and on p. 30 refer to the votes in the scorecard on pp. 31-40. This is the 17th such compilation that NARFE has published.

2013 HOUSE VOTE #44 FEBRUARY 15, 2013

Extend Federal Pay Freeze (H.R. 273) Introduced by Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-FL, the bill extended the statutory pay freeze for federal civilian employees – including members of Congress – through December 31, 2013, marking the third year of the pay freeze. Passed 261-154. NARFE opposed the bill, so a “nay” vote is in support of NARFE’s position.

2013 HOUSE VOTE #86, MARCH 20, 2013

Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Budget Resolution Substitute (H.Amdt. 35 to H.Con.Res. 25) Rep. Rob Woodall’s, R-GA, FY14 budget substitute on behalf of the Republican Study Committee would provide $2.732 trillion in new budget authority for FY 2014, not including off-budget accounts. The substitute would assume a $950 billion cap on total non-war discretionary spending, freezing it for four years until the budget is balanced, and then allowing for inflation growth. The budget assumes the transformation of Medicare into a premium support program that would compete against private plans.

Beginning in 2015, it would convert the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) to a premium support system, as well. The resolution also switches to the Chained CPI in place of current law (CPI-W) for Social Security, military retirement and federal civilian retirement cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). Rejected 104-132. NARFE opposed the bill, so a “nay” vote is in support of NARFE’s position.

2013 HOUSE VOTE #88, MARCH 20, 2013

Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Resolution (H.Con.Res. 25) The resolution would provide $2.769 trillion in new budget authority in fiscal year 2014, not including off-budget accounts. It assumes the spending levels required by the sequester remain in place and that non-war discretionary spending for all future years will be at post-sequester levels, and also assumes that all discretionary savings from the sequester beginning in fiscal 2014 will come from nondefense programs. It calls for a reduction in federal employee benefits of $181 billion over 10 years through a decrease in the size of the workforce and an increase in retirement contributions. It assumes repeal of the 2010 health care law and a restructuring of Medicare into a premium support system beginning in 2024. Adopted 221-207. NARFE opposed the bill, so a “nay” vote is in support of NARFE’s position.

2013 HOUSE VOTE #225, JUNE 13, 2013

Conversion of Defense Functions to Contractor Performance (H.Amdt. 148 to H.R. 1960) An amendment offered by Rep. Scott Rigell, R-VA, sought to modify the temporary suspension of publicprivate competitions for conversion of Department

w w w. n a r f e . o r g

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How they voted:

113th Congress SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

of Defense functions to contractor performance.

Permits the Secretary of Defense to exempt existing public-private partnerships from the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76 process.

Rejected 178-248. NARFE opposed the amendment, so a “nay” vote is in support of NARFE’s position.

retirement age to 70, up from the currently scheduled 67. It proposed requiring federal employees to contribute more to both their pensions and health benefits and reducing the federal workforce through attrition. Rejected 133291. NARFE opposed the bill, so a “nay” vote is in support of NARFE’s position.

2013 HOUSE VOTE #436, AUGUST 1, 2013

2013 HOUSE VOTE #177, APRIL 10, 2014

Stop Government Abuse Act (H.R. 2879) The legislation, introduced by Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-KS, would prohibit bonuses for federal employees during sequestration and provide for new leave category – investigative leave – for members of the Senior Executive Service under investigation, which may be without pay. Also gives members of the general public the right to record telephone or inperson interactions with Executive Branch employees.

Passed 239-176. NARFE opposed the bill, so a “nay” vote is in support of NARFE’s position.

2013 HOUSE VOTE #525, OCTOBER 5, 2013

Compensation of Furloughed Federal Employees (H.R. 3223) The bill, offered by Rep. James P. Moran, D-VA, would provide for the compensation of federal employees furloughed during the 16-day government shutdown. Passed 407-0. NARFE supported the bill, so a “yea” vote is in support of NARFE’s position.

2013 HOUSE VOTE #550, OCTOBER 17, 2013 Continuing Appropriations to End Partial Shutdown, Suspend Debt Limit and Pay Furloughed Federal Employees (H.R. 2775) The measure provided continuing appropriations for government operations through January 15, 2014, reflecting an annual discretionary level of $986 billion. It allowed federal borrowing to continue through February 7, 2014, after the president certifies that the U.S. Treasury cannot pay its obligations and would set up an expedited process for Congress to consider resolutions of disapproval for debt-limit increases included in the 2011 Budget Control Act. It also provided for retroactive pay for federal employees who worked through the government shutdown that began on October 1, 2013, and for workers furloughed during that time.

Passed 285-144. NARFE supported the bill, so a “yea” vote is in support of NARFE’s position.

2014 HOUSE VOTE #175, APRIL 4, 2014

Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Resolution Substitute (H.Amdt. 615 to H.Con.Res. 96) Rep. Rob Woodall’s, R-GA, budget substitute on behalf of the Republican Study Committee would provide for $2.744 trillion in new budget authority in FY 2015, not including off-budget accounts. The plan would repeal the 2010 health care law. The plan would use the Chained CPI to calculate costof-living adjustments and increase the normal 30

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Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Resolution (H.Con. Res. 96) Adoption The concurrent resolution would provide for $2.842 trillion in new budget authority in FY 2015, not including off-budget accounts. It would assume $5.1 trillion in reductions over the next 10 years in both discretionary and mandatory spending.

The concurrent resolution assumes savings of $125 billion over 10 years by requiring current federal employees to contribute more toward their retirement. The proposal assumes the repeal of the 2010 health care law. It also extends the 2013 law that withheld the pay of members of Congress unless the House and Senate each approve a budget resolution. It calls for the creation of a block grant program for Medicaid run by individual states and includes a proposal for a 10-year “doc fix” to prevent a 24 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors.

Adopted 219-205. NARFE opposed the bill, so a “nay” vote is in support of NARFE’s position.

Key Senate Votes 113th Congress 2013 SENATE VOTE #37, MARCH 14, 2013

Hiring Freeze Amendment, Fiscal 2013 Continuing Appropriations (S. Amdt. 66 to H.R. 933) Sen. Tom Coburn’s, R-OK, amendment would have placed a hiring freeze on “nonessential” federal employees. The amendment would allow agencies to hire employees who are “excepted” or perform emergency functions, as defined by the Office of Personnel Management. Rejected 45-54. NARFE opposed the bill, so a “nay” vote is in support of NARFE’s position.

2013 SENATE VOTE #46, March 21, 2013

House FY14 Budget Resolution (H.Con.Res. 25) See description of H.Con.Res. 25 in House section of this report. Rejected 40-59. NARFE opposed the bill, so a “nay” vote is in support of NARFE’s position.

2013 SENATE VOTE 219, OCTOBER 16, 2013 Continuing Appropriations to End Partial Shutdown, Suspend Debt Limit and Pay Furloughed Federal Employees (H.R. 2775) See description of H.R. 2775 in House section of this report. Passed 81-18. NARFE supported the bill, so a “yea” vote is in support of NARFE’s position.

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

State by state record on

Key NARFE Votes

Members of Congress Representatives’ names in black / Senators’ in blue AL At-Large representative R Retiring, not seeking re-election G Running for Governor S Representative running for Senate D Defeated in primary O Seeking other office * Senator whose term is expiring 2016 Senator whose term expires in 2016 2018 Senator whose term expires in 2018

Vote legend P Voted for the NARFE-preferred position x Voted against the NARFE-preferred position NV Did Not Vote P Voted “Present” S Speaker of the House, rarely votes i Not yet elected when vote taken

113th Congress

97th - 113th

Congresses

Vote Number: House Senate Vote # 44 86 88 225 436 525 550 175 177 37 46 219 Date 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 %P # P # x %P ALABAMA 1 Byrne (R ) I I I I I I I x x 0 0 2 0 2 Roby (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 4 12 25 3 Rogers, Mike D. (R ) x x x P x NV x x x 13 17 18 49 4 Aderholt (R ) x NV x x x P x x x 13 9 34 21 5 Brooks, M. (R ) 33 6 10 38 P x x x x P x P x 6 R Bachus, S. (R ) x P x x x P 33 14 38 27 P x x 7 Sewell (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 15 0 100 2016 Shelby (R ) x x x 0 16 42 28

* Sessions, J. (R ) x x x 0 4 22 15 ALASKA AL Young, D. (R ) NV P x P x P 63 37 33 P P x 2016 Murkowski (R ) P x P 67 4 13

* Begich (D ) 1 P P P 100 9

53 24 90

ARIZONA 1 Kirkpatrick (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 12 1 92 2 Barber (D ) x P 78 8 3 73 P P x P P P P 3 Grijalva (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 34 0 100 4 Gosar (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 14 13 5 Salmon (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 16 11 6 Schweikert (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 3 13 19 7 R Pastor (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 53 3 95 8 Franks (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 3 32 9 9 Sinema (D ) x P 78 7 2 78 P P x P P P P 2016 McCain (R ) x x P 33 20 25 44 2018 Flake (R ) x x 2 33 P 33 1 ARKANSAS 1 Crawford (R ) x P 67 7 9 P x x P P P P 2 O Griffin (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 5 11 3 Womack (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 5 11 4 S Cotton (R ) x x x x x P 22 2 7 P x x

* Pryor (D ) P P P 100 17 0 2016 Boozman (R ) x x 5 P 33 2

44 31 31 22 100 29

CALIFORNIA 1 LaMalfa (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 8 11 2 Huffman (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 3 Garamendi (D ) x P 88 14 3 82 P P P P P P P 4 McClintock (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 19 10 5 Thompson, M. (D ) P NV P P P P P P P 100 40 1 98 6 Matsui (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 28 0 100 7 Bera (D ) x P 78 7 2 78 P P x P P P P 8 Cook (R ) x P x P x P P x x 44 4 5 44 w w w. n a r f e . o r g

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How they voted:

113th Congress SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

113th Congress

97th - 113th

Congresses

Vote Number: House Senate Vote # 44 86 88 225 436 525 550 175 177 37 46 219 Date 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 %P # P # x %P 9 McNerney (D ) x P P P x P P P P 10 Denham (R ) x P x x x P x P x 11 R Miller, George (D ) P NV NV P NV P P NV NV 12 Pelosi (D ) P P P P NV P P P P 13 Lee, B. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 14 Speier (D ) NV P P P P P P P P 15 Swalwell (D ) P P P P P P P P P 16 Costa (D ) x P P P P P P P P 17 Honda (D ) P P P P P P P P P 18 Eshoo (D ) P NV P P P P P P P 19 Lofgren (D ) x P P P P P P P P 20 Farr (D ) NV P P P P P P P P 21 Valadao (R ) x P x x x P P P x 22 Nunes (R ) x P x x x P P P x 23 McCarthy, K. (R ) x P x x x P P P x 24 Capps (D ) P P P P P P P P P 25 R McKeon (R ) x x x x x P P x x 26 Brownley (D ) x P P P P P P P P 27 Chu (D ) P P P NV P P P P P 28 Schiff (D ) P P P P P P P P P 29 Cardenas (D) P P P P P NV P P P 30 Sherman (D ) P P P P P P P P P 31 R Miller, Gary (R ) x P x x x NV P P x 32 Napolitano (D ) P P P P P P P P P 33 R Waxman (D ) P P P P P P P P P 34 Becerra (D ) P P P P P P P P P 35 O Negrete McLeod (D ) P P P P P P P P P 36 Ruiz (D ) x P P P x P P P P 37 Bass (D ) P P P P P NV P P P 38 Sanchez, Linda (D) P P P P P P P P P 39 Royce (R ) x P x x x P x x x 40 Roybal-Allard (D ) P P P P P P P P P 41 Takano (D ) P P P P P P P P P 42 Calvert (R ) x P x x x P P P x 43 Waters (D ) P P P P P P P P P 44 Hahn (D ) x P P P P P P P P 45 R Campbell (R ) x P x NV NV P x x x 46 Sanchez, Loretta (D ) P NV P P P NV P P P 47 Lowenthal (D ) P P P P P P P P P 48 Rohrabacher (R ) x x x x x P x x x 49 Issa (R ) x P x P x P P x x 50 Hunter (R ) x x x x x P x x x 51 Vargas (D ) P P P P P NV P P P 52 Peters, S. (D ) x P P P x P P P P 53 Davis, S. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 2018 Feinstein (D ) P P P 2016 Boxer (D ) P P P

75 33 100 100 100 100 100 88 100 100 89 100 44 44 44 100 22 88 100 100 100 100 38 100 100 100 100 75 100 100 22 100 100 44 100 88 29 100 100 11 44 11 100 75 100 100 100

22 4 66 52 42 20 8 26 37 48 44 46 4 11 7 40 9 7 16 37 7 41 8 38 74 50 8 6 14 33 4 49 8 14 52 11 4 40 8 8 11 3 7 6 39 29 35

3 12 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 2 5 24 19 1 43 1 0 1 0 2 31 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 48 1 0 36 1 2 20 2 0 49 28 18 0 2 0 7 1

88 25 94 98 100 100 100 96 100 96 92 96 44 31 27 98 17 88 100 97 100 95 21 100 99 98 100 75 100 100 8 98 100 28 98 85 17 95 100 14 28 14 100 75 100 81 97

COLORADO 1 DeGette (D ) P P P P P NV P P P 100 40 0 100 2 Polis (D ) x P 88 17 3 85 P P P P P P P 3 Tipton (R ) x P x P x NV P x x 38 4 11 27 4 S Gardner (R ) x x x x x P 22 2 14 13 P x x 5 Lamborn (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 3 23 12 6 Coffman (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 5 16 24 7 Perlmutter (D ) P P P P P P P NV NV 100 23 0 100

* Udall, Mark (D ) 2 80 P P P 100 8 2016 Bennet (D ) 2 80 P P P 100 8

CONNECTICUT 1 Larson, J. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 40 0 100 2 Courtney (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 24 0 100 3 DeLauro (D ) NV NV P P P P P P P 100 53 2 96 4 Himes (D ) x P 88 19 1 95 P P P P P P P 32

| OCT

2 0 14

113th Congress

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

97th - 113th

Congresses

Vote Number: House Senate Vote # 44 86 88 225 436 525 550 175 177 37 46 219 Date 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 %P # P # x %P 5 Esty (D ) NV P P P P P P P P 2016 Blumenthal (D ) P P P 2018 Murphy, C. (D ) P P P

100 100 100

8 7 3

0 0 0

100 100 100

DELAWARE AL Carney (D ) x P P 88 13 2 87 P P P P P P 2018 Carper (D ) P P P 100 16 3 84

* Coons (D ) P P P 100 7 0 100

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AL Norton (D ) I I I I I I I I I 0 2 0 100 FLORIDA 1 Miller, J. (R ) x P x x NV P x x x 25 6 30 17 2 Southerland (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 3 13 19 3 Yoho (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 8 11 4 Crenshaw (R ) x P x P x P 56 14 26 35 P P x 5 Brown, C. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 49 1 98 6 DeSantis (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 8 11 7 Mica (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 6 45 12 8 Posey (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 4 17 19 9 Grayson (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 13 0 100 10 Webster (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 6 10 38 11 Nugent (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 4 12 25 12 Bilirakis (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 9 17 35 13 Jolly (R ) I I I I I I I P P 100 2 0 100 14 Castor (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 25 0 100 15 Ross (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 14 13 16 Buchanan (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 9 17 35 17 Rooney (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 4 17 19 18 Murphy, P. (D ) x P 75 6 2 75 P P x P P P P 19 Clawson (R ) I I I I I I I I I 0 0 20 Hastings, A. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 45 1 98 21 Deutch (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 16 1 94 22 Frankel (D ) NV P P P P P P P P 100 7 0 100 23 Wasserman Schultz (D ) P NV NV P P P P P P 100 26 1 96 24 Wilson, F. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 14 0 100 25 Diaz-Balart (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 12 24 33 26 Garcia (D ) x P 75 6 2 75 P P x P P P P 27 Ros-Lehtinen (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 26 29 47 2018 Nelson (D ) P P P 100 19 0 100 2016 Rubio (R ) x x x 0 1 6 14 GEORGIA 1 D Kingston (R ) x x x P x P x x P 33 9 41 18 2 Bishop, S. (D ) NV P P P P P P P P 100 42 5 89 3 Westmoreland, L. (R ) x P x P x P x x x 33 5 23 18 4 Johnson, H. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 24 0 100 5 Lewis (D ) P P P NV NV P P NV NV 100 55 2 96 6 Price, T. (R ) x x x P x P x x x 22 4 25 14 7 Woodall (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 14 13 8 Scott, A. (R ) x x x P x P x x P 33 4 12 25 9 Collins, D. (R ) x x x P NV P x x x 25 2 6 25 10 D Broun (R ) x x P x x P x x P 33 4 19 17 11 D Gingrey (R ) x x P P x P x x P 44 7 29 19 12 Barrow (D ) x P 78 24 4 86 P P x P P P P 13 Scott, D. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 34 1 97 14 Graves, T. (R ) x x x P x P x x x 22 2 14 13

R Chambliss (R ) x x P 33 4 12 25 2016 Isakson (R ) x x P 33 3 10 23 HAWAII 1 D Hanabusa (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 15 0 100 2 Gabbard (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100

* Schatz (D ) P P P 100 3 0 100 2018 Hirono (D ) P P P 100 3 0 100 w w w. n a r f e . o r g

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33

How they voted:

113th Congress SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

113th Congress

97th - 113th

Congresses

Vote Number: House Senate Vote # 44 86 88 225 436 525 550 175 177 37 46 219 Date 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 %P # P # x %P IDAHO 1 Labrador (R ) x x x x x NV x x x 0 2 12 14 2 Simpson (R ) x P x P x P 56 13 28 32 P P x 2016 Crapo (R ) x x x 0 1 20 5

* Risch (R ) x x x 0 0 10 0 ILLINOIS 1 Rush (D ) NV P P P P NV NV P P 100 42 1 98 2 Kelly, R. (D ) I I I P P P P P P 100 6 0 100 3 Lipinski (D ) x NV P 88 26 2 93 P P P P P P 4 Gutierrez (D) NV P P P P P P P P 100 45 1 98 5 Quigley (D ) NV P P P P P P P P 100 16 2 89 6 Roskam (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 8 18 31 7 Davis, D. (D ) NV P P P P P P P P 100 40 0 100 8 Duckworth (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 9 Schakowsky (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 41 0 100 10 Schneider (D ) x P 89 8 1 89 P P P P P P P 11 Foster (D ) x P 88 14 2 88 P P P P P P P 12 Enyart (D ) x P 88 7 1 88 P P P P P P P 13 Davis, R. (R ) x P x P x P 56 5 4 56 P P x 14 Hultgren (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 14 13 15 Shimkus (R ) x P x P x P P x x 44 14 28 33 16 Kinzinger (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 6 10 38 17 Bustos (D ) x P 88 7 1 88 P P P P P P P 18 Schock (R ) NV NV x x x NV P x x 17 2 16 11

* Durbin (D ) P P P 100 25 1 96 2016 Kirk (R ) x x 2 50 P 33 2

INDIANA 1 Visclosky (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 62 4 94 2 Walorski (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 3 6 33 3 Stutzman (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 14 7 4 Rokita (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 15 6 5 Brooks, S. (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 4 5 44 6 Messer (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 8 11 7 Carson (D ) P P P P P P P P NV 100 22 0 100 8 Bucshon (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 14 13 9 Young, T. (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 5 11 31 2016 Coats (R ) x x P 33 11 16 41 2018 Donnelly (D ) P P P 100 3 0 100 IOWA 1 S Braley (D ) x P 89 22 4 85 P P P P P P P 2 Loebsack (D ) x P 89 22 3 88 P P P P P P P 3 R Latham (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 18 31 37 4 King, S. (R ) x x x x NV P x x x 13 4 31 11 2016 Grassley (R ) x x x 0 18 47 28

R Harkin (D ) P P P 100 37 6 86 KANSAS 1 Huelskamp (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 3 13 19 2 Jenkins (R ) x P x x x P 33 6 15 29 P x x 3 Yoder (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 15 6 4 Pompeo (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 14 13

* Roberts (R ) x x x 0 4 22 15 2016 Moran, Jerry (R ) x x 5 29 P 33 2 KENTUCKY 1 Whitfield (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 16 33 33 2 Guthrie (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 7 14 33 3 Yarmuth (D ) NV P P P P NV P P P 100 23 0 100 4 Massie (R ) x x P 6 45 P x P x x P 44 5 5 Rogers, H. (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 31 44 41 6 Barr (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 3 6 33

* McConnell (R ) x x P 33 14 37 27 2016 Paul (R ) x 5 29 P x 33 2 34

| OCT

2 0 14

113th Congress

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

97th - 113th

Congresses

Vote Number: House Senate Vote # 44 86 88 225 436 525 550 175 177 37 46 219 Date 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 %P # P # x %P LOUISIANA 1 Scalise (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 3 20 13 2 Richmond (D ) P P P P NV P P P P 100 14 0 100 3 Boustany (R ) x x x x x P P 33 7 20 26 P x 4 Fleming (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 3 18 14 5 McAllister (R ) I I I I I I I NV NV 0 0 6 S Cassidy (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 4 17 19

* Landrieu, M. (D ) P P P 100 20 6 77 2016 Vitter (R ) x x x 0 1 13 7 MAINE 1 Pingree (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 19 0 100 2 G Michaud (D ) x P 88 33 2 94 P P P P P P P

* Collins (R ) P P P 100 19 7 73 2018 King, A. (I ) P P P 100 3 0 100

MARYLAND 1 Harris (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 3 13 19 2 Ruppersberger (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 33 1 97 3 Sarbanes (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 25 0 100 4 Edwards (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 22 0 100 5 Hoyer (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 72 4 95 6 Delaney (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 9 0 100 7 Cummings (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 42 0 100 8 Van Hollen (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 35 0 100 2016 Mikulski (D ) P P P 100 43 4 91 2018 Cardin (D ) P P P 100 13 0 100

MASSACHUSETTS 1 Neal (D ) P P P NV P P P P P 100 53 2 96 2 McGovern (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 43 0 100 3 Tsongas (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 23 0 100 4 Kennedy (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 5 Clark, K. (D ) I I I I I I I P P 100 2 0 100 6 Tierney (D ) x P 88 41 2 95 P P P P P P P 7 Capuano (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 40 0 100 8 Lynch (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 38 0 100 9 Keating (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 14 1 93 2018 Warren (D ) P P P 100 3 0 100

** Markey (D ) I I 0 100 P 100 1 MICHIGAN 1 Benishek (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 4 12 25 2 Huizenga (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 15 6 3 Amash (R ) x x P x x P x x x 22 6 10 38 4 R Camp (R ) x x x x x P 22 12 44 21 P x x 5 Kildee (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 6 Upton (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 27 36 43 7 Walberg (R ) x P x x x P x x x 22 4 17 19 8 R Rogers, Mike (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 11 27 29 9 Levin, S. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 62 6 91 10 Miller, C. (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 13 23 36 11 D Bentivolio (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 8 11 12 R Dingell (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 73 3 96 13 Conyers (D ) P P P P NV P P P P 100 70 3 92 14 S Peters, G. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 18 1 95

R Levin, C. (D ) P P P 100 59 6 91 2018 Stabenow (D ) P P P 100 19 0 100 MINNESOTA 1 Walz (D ) x P 88 22 3 88 P P P P P P P 2 Kline, J. (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 7 29 19 3 Paulsen (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 5 15 25 4 McCollum (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 36 0 100 5 Ellison (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 25 0 100 6 R Bachmann (R ) x NV x x x P x x x 13 4 19 17 w w w. n a r f e . o r g

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35

How they voted:

113th Congress SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

113th Congress

97th - 113th

Congresses

Vote Number: House Senate Vote # 44 86 88 225 436 525 550 175 177 37 46 219 Date 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 %P # P # x %P 7 Peterson (D ) P NV P P x P P P P 8 Nolan (D ) P P P P P P P P P 2018 Klobuchar (D ) P P P

* Franken (D ) P P P

88 44 100 8 100 13 100 10

11 0 0 0

79 100 100 100

MISSISSIPPI 1 Nunnelee (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 15 6 2 Thompson, B. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 48 2 96 3 Harper (R ) x P x x x P 33 6 15 29 P x x 4 Palazzo (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 14 13

* Cochran (R ) x x P 33 19 46 29 2018 Wicker (R ) x x 9 18 P 33 2 MISSOURI 1 Clay (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 39 0 100 2 Wagner (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 3 6 33 3 Luetkemeyer (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 5 16 24 4 Hartzler (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 14 13 5 Cleaver (D ) P P P P NV P P P P 100 27 0 100 6 Graves, S. (R ) x P x x x P x x x 22 12 26 32 7 Long (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 14 7 8 Smith, J. (R ) I I I x x P x x x 17 1 5 17 2018 McCaskill (D ) x 5 62 P P 67 8 2016 Blunt (R ) x x 5 29 P 33 2 MONTANA AL S Daines (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 4 5 44 2018 Tester (D ) P P P 100 12 1 92

R Walsh (D ) I I I 0 0 NEBRASKA 1 Fortenberry (R ) x NV x x x P 38 12 16 43 P P x 2 Terry (R ) x x x x x P 33 7 35 17 P P x 3 Smith, Adrian (R ) x P x x x P 33 4 22 15 P x x

R Johanns (R ) x x 8 20 P 33 2 2018 Fischer (R ) x x 2 33 P 33 1

NEVADA 1 Titus (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 12 1 92 2 Amodei (R ) x NV NV x x P x P x 29 2 10 17 3 Heck, J. (R ) x P 56 7 9 44 P x x P P P x 4 Horsford (D ) NV P P P NV P P P P 100 6 0 100 2016 Reid, H. (D ) P P P 100 44 4 92 2018 Heller (R ) x P x 33 7 10 41 NEW HAMPSHIRE 1 Shea-Porter (D ) P P P NV P P P P P 100 17 0 100 2 Kuster (D ) x P 88 7 1 88 P P P P P P P

* Shaheen (D ) 1 90 P P P 100 9 2016 Ayotte (R ) x x 6 14 P 33 1 NEW JERSEY 1 VACANT 2 LoBiondo (R ) 78 34 15 69 P P x P x P P P P 3 R Runyan (R ) x P x P x P 57 5 9 36 P NV NV 4 Smith, C. (R ) 63 49 27 64 P NV x P x P P P x 5 Garrett (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 5 31 14 6 Pallone (D ) P P P P NV P P P P 100 47 8 85 7 Lance (R ) x P x x x P 33 8 13 38 P x x 8 Sires (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 25 0 100 9 Pascrell (D ) P P P P P NV P P P 100 42 0 100 10 Payne (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 10 0 100 11 Frelinghuysen (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 20 29 41 12 R Holt (D ) P P P P NV P P P P 100 40 0 100 2018 Menendez (D ) P P P 100% 10 0 100

* Booker (D ) I I I 0 0 36

| OCT

2 0 14

113th Congress

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

97th - 113th

Congresses

Vote Number: House Senate Vote # 44 86 88 225 436 525 550 175 177 37 46 219 Date 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 %P # P # x %P NEW MEXICO 1 Lujan Grisham, M. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 2 Pearce (R ) x x x P x P x P x 33 9 21 30 3 Lujan, B. (D) P P P P P P P P P 100 19 1 95

* Udall, T. (D ) P P P 100 10 0 100 2018 Heinrich (D ) P P P 100 3 0 100 NEW YORK 1 Bishop, T. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 34 1 97 2 King, P. (R ) 67 24 27 47 P P x P x P P P x 3 Israel (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 37 1 97 4 R McCarthy, C. (D ) P P P NV NV NV NV P P 100 34 2 94 5 Meeks, G. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 39 0 100 6 Meng (D ) P NV P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 7 Velazquez (D) P P P P P P P P P 100 47 2 96 8 Jeffries (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 9 Clarke, Y. (D ) P NV P P P P P P P 100 25 0 100 10 Nadler (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 49 2 96 11 Grimm (R ) x NV x P x P P P x 50 6 9 40 12 Maloney, C. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 48 2 96 13 Rangel (D ) P NV P P P NV P P P 100 71 2 97 14 Crowley (D ) P P P P NV P P P P 100 39 0 100 15 Serrano (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 54 0 100 16 Engel (D ) P NV NV P P P P P P 100 51 2 96 17 Lowey (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 53 2 96 18 Maloney, S. (D ) x P 89 8 1 89 P P P P P P P 19 Gibson, C. (R ) x P 78 11 5 69 P P x P P P P 20 Tonko (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 20 0 100 21 R Owens (D ) x P 88 15 2 88 P P P P P P P 22 Hanna (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 5 11 31 23 Reed, T. (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 3 13 19 24 Maffei (D ) x P 75 11 2 85 P P x P P P P 25 Slaughter (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 63 1 98 26 Higgins (D ) P P P P P NV P P P 100 26 1 96 27 Collins, C. (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 3 6 33 2016 Schumer (D ) P P P 100 21 0 100 2018 Gillibrand (D ) P P P 100 7 0 100 NORTH CAROLINA 1 Butterfield (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 30 0 100 2 Ellmers (R ) x P x x x P x x x 22 3 13 19 3 Jones (R ) x P 75 24 23 51 P P P NV x P P 4 Price, D. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 49 2 96 5 Foxx (R ) x NV x x x P x P x 25 6 22 21 6 R Coble (R ) x P x x x P 33 10 46 18 P x x 7 R McIntyre (D ) x P 75 35 7 83 P P x P P P P 8 Hudson (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 8 11 9 Pittenger (R ) x x x x x NV P x x 13 1 7 13 10 McHenry (R ) x x x x x P P x x 22 5 24 17 11 Meadows (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 8 11 12 VACANT 13 Holding (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 8 11 2016 Burr (R ) x x P 33 2 12 14

* Hagan (D ) x 2 80 P P 67 8 NORTH DAKOTA AL Cramer (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 4 5 44 2016 Hoeven (R ) x x 6 14 P 33 1 2018 Heitkamp (D ) P P P 100 3 0 100 OHIO 1 Chabot (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 5 39 11 2 Wenstrup (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 8 11 3 Beatty (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 4 Jordan (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 25 4 w w w. n a r f e . o r g

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How they voted:

113th Congress SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

113th Congress

97th - 113th

Congresses

Vote Number: House Senate Vote # 44 86 88 225 436 525 550 175 177 37 46 219 Date 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 %P # P # x %P 5 Latta (R ) x P x x x P x x x 6 Johnson, B. (R ) x P x x x P x P x 7 Gibbs, B. (R ) x P x x x P x P x 8 Boehner (R ) S S x S S S x P S 9 Kaptur (D ) P P P P P P P P P 10 Turner (R ) x P x P x P x P x 11 Fudge (D ) P P P P P P P P P 12 Tiberi (R ) x P x P x P P P x 13 Ryan, T. (D ) x P P P P P P P P 14 Joyce (R ) x P x P x P P P x 15 Stivers (R ) x P x x x P P P x 16 Renacci (R ) x P x x x NV x P x 2018 Brown, S. (D ) P P P 2016 Portman (R ) x x P

22 33 33 33 100 44 100 56 88 56 44 25 100 33

5 3 3 9 65 15 20 14 33 5 4 2 13 5

18 22 13 19 13 19 35 20 8 89 21 42 0 100 26 35 2 94 4 56 12 25 13 13 0 100 21 19

OKLAHOMA 1 Bridenstine (R ) x x x P x P x x x 22 2 7 22 2 Mullin (R ) x P x P x P x x x 33 3 6 33 3 Lucas (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 15 34 31 4 Cole (R ) x x x P x P 33 10 26 28 P x x 5 S Lankford (R ) x x x P x P x x x 22 3 13 19

* Inhofe (R ) x x x 0 4 25 14 2016R Coburn (R ) x x x 0 6 35 15 OREGON 1 Bonamici (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 12 0 100 2 Walden (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 12 29 29 3 Blumenauer (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 41 1 98 4 DeFazio (D ) x P 88 53 7 88 P P P P P P P 5 Schrader (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 20 1 95 2016 Wyden (D ) P P P 100 27 2 93

* Merkley (D ) P P P 100 10 0 100 PENNSYLVANIA 1 Brady, R. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 42 0 100 2 Fattah (D ) P P P NV P P P P P 100 45 1 98 3 Kelly (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 5 11 31 4 Perry (R ) x NV x x x P x x x 13 1 7 13 5 Thompson, G. (R ) x P x P x P 56 8 13 38 P P x 6 R Gerlach (R ) x P x P x P 56 20 16 56 P P x 7 Meehan (R ) x P x P x P 56 6 10 38 P P x 8 Fitzpatrick (R ) x P x P x P 56 10 9 53 P P x 9 Shuster (R ) x P x P x P 56 11 28 28 P P x 10 Marino (R ) 56 6 10 38 P P x P x P x P x 11 Barletta (R ) x P x P x P 56 7 9 44 P P x 12 Rothfus (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 3 6 33 13 D Schwartz (D ) P P P P P P P NV NV 100 25 1 96 14 Doyle (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 46 1 98 15 Dent (R ) x P x P x P 56 13 14 45 P P x 16 Pitts (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 7 37 16 17 Cartwright (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 18 Murphy, T. (R ) x P x P x P 56 19 17 53 P P x 2018 Casey (D ) P P P 100 13 0 100 2016 Toomey (R )

x x x 0 1 6 14 RHODE ISLAND 1 Cicilline (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 14 1 93 2 Langevin (D ) P NV P P P P P P P 100 37 1 97

* Reed, J. (D ) P P P 100 25 1 96 2018 Whitehouse (D ) P P P 100 13 0 100 SOUTH CAROLINA 1 Sanford (R ) I I I x x P x x x 17 5 10 33 2 Wilson, J. (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 5 34 13 3 Duncan, Jeff (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 15 6 38

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113th Congress

SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

97th - 113th

Congresses

Vote Number: House Senate Vote # 44 86 88 225 436 525 550 175 177 37 46 219 Date 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 %P # P # x %P 4 Gowdy (R ) x x x x x P x x x 5 Mulvaney (R ) x x x x x P x x x 6 Clyburn (D ) P P P P P P P P P 7 Rice (R ) x P x P x P x x x

* Graham (R ) x x P 2016* Scott, T. (R ) x x x

11 1 11 1 100 49 33 3 33 3 0 0

15 15 1 6 13 3

6 6 98 33 19 0

SOUTH DAKOTA AL Noem (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 4 11 27

R Johnson, Tim (D ) P P P 100 23 1 96 2016 Thune (R ) x x P 33 3 11 21

TENNESSEE 1 Roe (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 4 17 19 2 Duncan, John (R ) x x x x x NV x x x 0 15 41 27 3 Fleischmann (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 14 13 4 DesJarlais (R ) x P x x x P x x x 22 3 13 19 5 Cooper (D ) x P 88 25 5 83 P P P P P P P 6 Black, D. (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 15 6 7 Blackburn, M. (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 5 30 14 8 Fincher (R ) x P x x x P x x x 22 3 13 19 9 Cohen (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 25 0 100

* Alexander, L. (R ) x x P 33 4 13 24 2018 Corker (R ) x x 8 38 P 33 5 TEXAS 1 Gohmert (R ) x x x P x P x x x 22 8 21 28 2 Poe (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 5 24 17 3 Johnson, S. (R ) x x x x x NV x x x 0 5 49 9 4 D Hall (R ) x x x P x P x x P 33 37 40 48 5 Hensarling (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 32 6 6 Barton (R ) x x x P x P x x x 22 16 51 24 7 Culberson (R ) NV x x x x P x x x 13 6 32 16 8 Brady, K. (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 4 37 10 9 Green, A. (D ) x P 88 27 1 96 P P P P P P P 10 McCaul (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 6 23 21 11 Conaway (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 5 24 17 12 Granger (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 11 31 26 13 Thornberry (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 8 41 16 14 Weber (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 8 11 15 Hinojosa (D ) P NV P P P P P P P 100 40 0 100 16 O’Rourke (D) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 17 Flores (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 14 13 18 Jackson Lee (D ) NV P P P P P P NV NV 100 43 1 98 19 Neugebauer (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 4 32 11 20 Castro (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 21 Smith, Lamar (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 24 38 39 22 Olson (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 3 18 14 23 Gallego (D ) x P 75 6 2 75 P P x P P P P 24 Marchant (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 5 23 18 25 Williams (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 1 8 18 26 Burgess (R ) x x x P x P x x x 22 8 27 23 27 Farenthold (R ) x x x P x P x x x 22 3 13 19 28 Cuellar (D ) x P 75 25 3 89 P P x P P P P 29 Green, G. (D ) x P 88 45 5 90 P P P P P P P 30 Johnson, E. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 48 1 98 31 Carter (R ) x P x x x P x x x 22 5 30 14 32 Sessions, P. (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 6 37 14 33 Veasey (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 34 Vela (D ) x P 88 7 1 88 P P P P P P P 35 Doggett (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 47 0 100 36 D Stockman (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 2 12 14

* Cornyn (R ) x x x 0 3 14 18 2018 Cruz (R ) x 2 33 P x 33 1

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How they voted:

113th Congress SPECIAL PULLOUT SECTION

113th Congress

97th - 113th

Congresses

Vote Number: House Senate Vote # 44 86 88 225 436 525 550 175 177 37 46 219 Date 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2013 2013 2013 %P # P # x %P UTAH 1 Bishop, R. (R ) 33 11 23 32 P x x P x P x x x 2 Stewart (R ) x P x P x P x x x 33 3 6 33 3 Chaffetz (R ) x P x P x P x x x 33 4 17 19 4 R Matheson (D ) x NV P 75 34 5 87 P x P P P P 2018 Hatch (R ) x x P 33 19 44 30 2016 Lee, M. (R ) x P x 33 3 4 43

VERMONT AL Welch (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 25 0 100 2016 Leahy (D ) P P P 100 55 7 89 2018 Sanders (I ) P P P 100 13 0 100

VIRGINIA 1 Wittman (R ) 56 13 11 54 P P x x x P P P x 2 Rigell (R ) 33 5 11 31 P x x x x P P x x 3 Scott, R. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 47 4 92 4 Forbes (R ) 67 16 22 42 P P P P x P x P x 5 Hurt (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 4 12 25 6 Goodlatte (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 9 43 17 7 VACANT

8 R Moran, James (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 45 4 92 9 Griffith (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 3 13 19 10 R Wolf (R ) 78 57 19 75 P P x P P P P P x 11 Connolly (D ) 88 19 1 95 P P P x P P P P P

* Warner (D ) 2 80 P P P 100 8 2018 Kaine (D ) P P P 100 3 0 100 WASHINGTON 1 DelBene (D ) x P 88 8 2 80 P P P P P P P 2 Larsen, R. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 38 0 100 3 Herrera Beutler (R ) x P x x NV NV P P x 43 6 8 43 4 R Hastings, D. (R ) x P x x x P P P x 44 12 35 26 5 McMorris Rodgers (R ) x P x x x P 33 7 22 24 P x x 6 Kilmer (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 7 McDermott (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 53 2 96 8 Reichert (R ) x P x P x P 56 15 13 54 P P x 9 Smith, Adam (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 39 4 91 10 Heck, D. (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 2016 Murray (D ) P P P 100 36 0 100 2018 Cantwell (D ) P P P 100 19 0 100

WEST VIRGINIA 1 McKinley (R ) x P 78 11 5 69 P P x P P P P 2 S Capito (R ) x P x P x P 56 27 13 68 P P x 3 Rahall (D ) x P 89 50 7 88 P P P P P P P

R Rockefeller (D ) P P P 100 45 6 88 2018 Manchin (D ) 1 86 P P P 100 6 WISCONSIN 1 Ryan, P. (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 6 35 15 2 Pocan (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 8 0 100 3 Kind (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 41 1 98 4 Moore (D ) P P P P P P P P P 100 28 0 100 5 Sensenbrenner (R ) x x x x x P x x x 11 13 62 17 6 R Petri (R ) x P x x x P x x x 22 25 52 30 7 Duffy (R ) x P x x x P x P x 33 3 13 19 8 Ribble (R ) x P x x x P 33 4 12 25 P x x 2016 Johnson, R. (R ) x x x 0 1 6 14 2018 Baldwin (D ) P P P 100 3 0 100

40

WYOMING AL Lummis (R ) x x x x x NV x x x 0 2 18 10

* Enzi (R ) x x x 0 2 24 8 2018 Barrasso (R ) x x P 33 1 10 9

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Cover Story

educating FEderal Workers

Smart Approaches Pay Off

Illustration by Bill Pragluski, Critical Stages, LLC 44

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G

etting a higher education credential and proper training can make a large

difference for employees seeking to advance in the federal government and for federal agencies seeking to ensure they have skilled workers.

But it often comes at a steep price for both individuals and federal agencies. Universities, nonprofit and for-profit education providers, and the government itself are all competing to think of smart ways to facilitate higher education and training options for federal employees in an effective and affordable manner.

Nikki Cornette has been working since she was 16, joined the U.S. Army after high school and has learned a few things about how to obtain a higher education credential at a discount.

Cornette, 33, is now an information technology policy planner with the U.S. Department of the Army in North Carolina. She writes agreements that govern reimbursement for IT services that employees at Fort Bragg provide to other customers. She began earning an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) via part-time, online classes while she was stationed in Germany.

After returning to the United States in 2007, she completed her UMUC degree in English in 2012. Because she was a military spouse, she received the heavily

By David Tobenkin

EducatiNG FEDERAL WORKERS

Smart Approaches Pay Off discounted military rate − which is similar to instate tuition – for much of her course of study.

More recently, Cornette realized that further advancement at her agency would depend on getting an advanced degree and that, given her full-time job, part-time distance learning was the best option. Satisfied with her UMUC English degree and familiar with the UMUC instructional approach, she perused the UMUC catalog and found a UMUC education option that was perfectly suited to her.

“I am a GS-11 and can apply for a GS-12 with my bachelor’s degree,” Cornette says. “But to go higher than that, I will have to have a master’s degree to be competitive with the other candidates out there. The degree I am pursuing is a dual master’s − one a master’s degree in IT with a specialization in project management, which will make me an expert in the technical side of my profession; the other a Master of Business Administration, which will help me move away from dayto-day technical duties toward looking at things more holistically and from a business management perspective. It’s important to have both.”

There was just one problem − the price. Having divorced her military-member spouse in 2013 and left the Army as a reservist in 2008, she no longer would qualify for a militaryspouse or military-tuition rate and likely would not have been able to afford the full out-of-state tuition price of $659 per credit hour.

A new education alliance announced in April between UMUC and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) came to Cornette’s rescue.

The program offers current federal employees, their spouses and legal dependents residing outside of the state of Maryland a 25 percent discount off the UMUC out-of-state tuition rate for many UMUC courses, certificates and degree programs.

“The 25 percent savings is hugely important to me, even if it’s not as big a discount as was the military discount,” says Cornette, who began her dual degree program in September and will pay, with the discount, approximately $9,000 per year for the three-year program. “If they didn’t offer that, I am unsure if I could afford this as a single parent paying out-of-state tuition.”

The UMUC-OPM alliance offers the discount 46

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for more than 80 degree programs, including all undergraduate and most graduate degree programs. About 13 other programs do not qualify because of a University System of Maryland policy that excludes these single-rate programs from discounts for out-of-state students.

While the 25 percent discount is not available to Maryland residents, the in-state tuition rate that Maryland residents already enjoy is even lower than the OPM-UMUC alliance discounted rate. The current UMUC out-of-state tuition rates are $499 per credit hour for undergraduate programs and $659 per credit hour for graduate programs before the discount. Maryland residents are entitled to the in-state tuition rate of $266 per credit hour for undergraduate programs and $458 per credit hour for most graduate programs.

OPM and Agency Goals

For OPM, the alliance serves numerous aims, including making quality education for federal employees and their dependents more affordable, addressing the skills and knowledge gaps of federal employees and agencies, and helping to attract quality employees to the federal government. “This is the first agreement on behalf of the entire federal workforce that OPM has entered into with a higher education institution to create a governmentwide partnership to provide skills, training and degree programs to federal employees,” says Sydney Smith-Heimbrock, OPM’s deputy associate director for strategic workforce planning. “[OPM Director Katherine Archuleta] has been very vocal and visible in reaching out to colleges and universities, not only for recruitment but also to create partnerships with institutions that are in a position to prepare current and future employees for specific federal work.

She wants all federal employees to have equitable access to these types of partnership agreements, and we felt that UMUC was a good target to begin with since they have online learning that is available to anyone anywhere.”

Smith-Heimbrock says that other education alliances are under consideration.

UMUC has already partnered with six other agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and five other

agencies, to provide education options to federal employees at the same 25 percent discounted rate, notes Patricia Delaney, UMUC’s associate vice president for Corporate Learning Solutions.

Delaney and Smith-Heimbrock describe the alliance − signed for a two-year period − as being in its early stages and one that eventually could lead to integrating federal-employee-specific content into courses or specialized certificate or degree programs for federal employees. The number of federal employees who have taken advantage of the alliance, thus far, is not available.

Delaney also says that UMUC has worked with some federal agencies to apply employee experience or agency instruction toward receiving credit for UMUC undergraduate degree programs. “Last year, the head of training for the Federal Reserve Board had us review their basic training for Federal Reserve police to see if it would qualify toward credits in our undergraduate criminal justice programs,” Delaney says. “Most of their employees didn’t have undergraduate degrees, and a survey of employees said they would appreciate options that would make pursuing an undergraduate degree more affordable. We were able to make matches between their 150-hour basic training program and our courses, which will reduce the number of required courses for any police officers who choose to pursue undergraduate degrees.”

Delaney notes that this reflects a more general policy of recognizing credits from accredited four-year universities and colleges and community colleges. College-level learning obtained outside the classroom from training and professional experience − such as work as an accountant or as a member of the military – also is counted and can reduce the number of credits needed for UMUC undergraduate degrees.

Reducing Training Costs

A notable feature of the OPM-UMUC alliance is that it costs the federal government nothing. Sequestration and federal spending cutbacks have led many agencies to pare down their training budgets. The Internal Revenue Service, for example, has reduced

training expenditures by 83 percent since 2010, according to an April 2014 Government Accountability Office report.

Such cuts have resulted in changes to the offerings of education providers that specialize in serving federal government employees.

“Sequestration definitely affected training funds and federal travel funds required to send employees to some forms of training,” says Faye Anderson, vice president of curriculum and learning solutions at the Washington, DC-based Graduate School USA, formerly known as the USDA Graduate School, which offers courses and certificate programs tailored to federal employees. Graduate School USA provides instruction to 200,000 participants annually, offering more than 300 courses and nine government training certificates. The Graduate School was created in 1921 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide adult continuing education but is now a nonprofit, private education provider that is not affiliated with the USDA. To reduce costs, Anderson says that she and other education providers increasingly are giving instruction online and through training programs presented at agency locations.

“We have had to work more creatively with agencies to meet their needs,” Anderson says. “Some of those financial constraints remain, and no one in the training market expects a return to the training budgets of the past.

Agencies are spending more than a year ago, but they are being much more discerning and trying to ensure that the training meets the performance needs of the agency and their employees. There is a lot more up-front design of content tailored to [the] agency’s situation, particularly if they face a particular skills gap or if an audit has identified a particular problem that they need to address. In some offices, many of the more senior employees have left, which means you have to

To save costs, providers increasingly are giving instruction online and through programs presented at agency locations.

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EducatiNG FEDERAL WORKERS

Smart Approaches Pay Off thoroughly train new employees in their functions and expect them to be more versatile and do more. That’s particularly the case with the human resources function. For example, we have a 10-day course built around the HR function of classifying positions that teaches entrylevel employees all that they need to know to perform that function when they return to their offices.”

On the other hand, some education provider executives say that there are some positive federal training trends. “The budget passed in mid-January allowed the government to plan and have predictability in [its] budget, the president’s management agenda lists development of the federal workforce’s skills as an action item, and we are getting past the General Services Administration [Las Vegas conference] scandal that caused training to get lumped together with conferences,” says Thomas Dungan III, chief executive of Tysons Corner, VA-based private, for-profit federal workforce training provider Management Concepts, which has 180 employees and offers 250 courses and 12 certificate programs. “In light of the large number of retirements occurring now, there is a big skills gap between those coming up and those leaving, and workforce skills development is the only way to address that.”

OPM and many large federal agencies are attempting to standardize federal employee training to reduce costs and improve education quality. One example is HR University, an OPMrun, one-stop HR training and development resource that provides a single agreed-upon career map, competency model and curriculum framework for all federal HR training.

Developed by the Chief Human Capital Officer Council (CHCO Council) with OPM’s leadership and maintenance, HR University has saved more than $100 million in taxpayer money over the past two years by preventing agencies from duplicating investment in training design and delivery and by enabling agencies to share training with each other within the curriculum framework, Smith-Heimbrock notes. She also says that OPM is working with the Chief Learning Officers Council to create similar one-stop, course-sharing solutions for additional occu48

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pations, as well as for mandatory training, onboarding, and management and leadership development.

“We used HR University as a model for how government agencies can collaborate in providing skills training focused on one occupation that most agencies share,” Smith-Heimbrock says. “The CHCO Council and OPM are responsible for the federal human resources workforce, so we were able to test this model through an occupation we know very well. We brought HR leaders together to agree upon a common set of competencies that HR professionals need and from that developed a career map and an accompanying framework where we could plug in specific courses. We then had the agencies send in the courses they had, reviewed their quality and, where they met our standards, made them available to all agencies throughout the government through HR University. It’s an example of government collaboration increasing access to quality education.”

Large agencies are following a similar approach in trying to standardize their employee skills expectations and training delivery. An example is a U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) financial management certification training series that was launched in June 2013. It requires more than 50,000 DOD financial managers to obtain certification in financial management competencies, according to a recently published account of the program by Glenda Scheiner, a leader of the program, who is director of human capital and resource management at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense.

The competencies include 17 subcompetencies, such as accounting analysis and budget execution, at one of three certification levels: Level One “Leads Self,” Level Two “Leads Teams/Projects” and Level Three “Leads People.”

The program comes with teeth. Members of the DOD financial management workforce must be able to obtain the appropriate certification level for their positions within two years after assignment.

“This is a very forward-looking model that many other agencies are watching and could follow if successful,” says Anderson of Graduate School USA, which is one of six authorized

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EducatiNG FEDERAL WORKERS

Smart Approaches Pay Off training providers under the program. “It’s a way to ensure the professionalization of your workforce and that professional standards are institutionalized. We see this very much in the federal market. Agencies and employees are looking at not just taking a class anymore. Instead, they are targeting specific competencies and certificate programs that establish standards and that give employees a bundle of skills that they can apply in service of their agency mission.”

Addressing Agency Culture and Continuity

Another program that features a similarly comprehensive approach is one for U.S. Air Force intelligence analysts, established by the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) in collaboration with Management Concepts. In May 2013, NASIC debuted a comprehensive training program for senior and junior intelligence analysts to address the specialized needs of the agency’s analysts who study air, space and cyber threats from foreign countries, says Erin Moran, NASIC’s chief of training and development, who helped design the training program.

Under the program, junior analysts participate in a full-time, six-week NASIC Analyst Training (NAT) program, which includes classroom instruction, peer and senior analyst reviews, briefings and presentations, exercises, and site visits. Essentially a basic intelligence analyst boot camp, the NAT program focuses on development of basic skills such as critical and creative thinking; communications; how to evaluate sources of information; and collaboration with customers, peers and senior analysts. Case studies and interactive exercises are used to build skills and evaluate competencies. Further evaluation is then furnished by a Management Concepts-provided instructor and an assigned NASIC senior analyst coach.

Senior analysts − including all NASIC senior intelligence analysts and principal intelligence analysts − are separately trained in a five-day Coaching and Leading Analysis (CLA) training program to improve their coaching and leadership skills. CLA program graduates, in turn, serve as the coaches in the NAT program.

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Moran says that Management Concepts provides one classroom instructor, who is a classroom guide and facilitator, with the CLAtrained coaches functioning as an extension of the instructor. Management Concepts also provides instructional materials, case studies and other reading materials and conducts student assessments.

The NAT and CLA programs represent a paradigm shift from the agency’s previous training approach, says Moran. “We are a highly scientific and technical organization with many employees who are engineers and scientists,” she says. “I realized we needed continuity. We were lacking continuity because there were too many individual vendors coming in to teach specialized courses. We did not have a synchronized approach and a strategy to deliver training to the organization − particularly training for junior analysts.”

“We will often bring in technical experts with specialized skills in scientific and technical disciplines, such as advanced radar principles. However, the other part of furthering the organization’s analytic excellence is developing analytic skills to be able to think critically, problem solve, determine the right questions to ask and [determine] data’s intelligence value, and to communicate effectively to solve complex intelligence issues involving national security. We needed a structured training program, and the NAT course is meant to fill that need.”

NASIC has run four NAT courses with 30 students in each and four CLA courses with 24 senior analysts in each. Moran says that addressing an overriding organizational need to instill a culture of communication and collaboration among the analysts is just as important as the course offerings themselves.

“The nature of the work here is that people often prefer to work alone,” Moran says. “Yet to solve these complex problems and answer difficult questions requires collaborative discussions and engagements and the formation of ongoing professional relationships. The NAT and CLA training experiences are helping to create those relationships.”

—David Tobenkin is a freelance writer based in the greater Washington, DC, area.

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A lternative A Little-Known Retirement Option

With approximately 2.7 million employees in the federal workforce and more than 2.5 million retirees and survivors receiving retirement benefits, it’s hard to imagine a federal retirement option that accurately can be described as “littleknown.”

But ask these men and women about the alternative form of annuity (AFA) option – a retirement option that provides eligible federal employees with a lump-sum payment and a reduced monthly annuity upon retirement – and you’re likely to get blank stares and a look of surprise that such an arrangement might be available.

AFA, also known as the alternative annuity option, does exist, and has been offered to federal employees in various forms since 1986. Those who elect this option receive a lump-sum payment of the retirement contributions they have made to either the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) throughout their careers.

When employees choose this method of receiving their retirement benefits, their annuities are reduced by an amount determined by dividing the lump sum they receive by an actuarial factor for their age. Human resources professionals at all federal agencies are aware of the option, and can provide estimates of that reduction.

By Everett A. Chasen

52

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form

of

Annuity

AFA

w w w. n a r f e . o r g

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53

Alternative form of A nnuity

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Before you think about going out and spending that lump-sum payment on that new boat you’ve been eyeing, understand there’s a significant catch. Federal employees can elect an alternative annuity only if they retire on a nondisability annuity and have a life-threatening affliction or other critical medical condition.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) provides a list of conditions that meet the requirements for electing this option in Chapter 53 of the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) Handbook. They include malignant or inoperable cancers, serious cardiac disease with congestive heart failure, respiratory failure, active AIDS, severe hypoxic brain damage, ALS and 16 other conditions listed in section 53C1.1-4 of the Handbook. (The full list can be found at www.opm.gov/retirementservices/publications-forms/csrsfers-handbook/ c053.pdf.)

Other “catches” include a requirement that spouses must provide consent before an annuitant can receive the AFA. It’s important to note, however, that a spouse’s survivor benefit is not negatively affected if an annuitant chooses the option. The spouse’s survivor annuity will be equal to, and in some cases higher than, the survivor annuity the spouse would receive if the annuitant chose the regular annuity and not the AFA. If the annuitant has a former spouse who is entitled to a court-ordered survivor annuity, the annuitant cannot elect the AFA. “Prospective retirees who may be eligible for the AFA should consult their agency benefits officers,” says Kenneth Zawodny, OPM’s associate director of retirement services. “The benefits officers can counsel the employees on their options.”

“The retiring employee must submit medical evidence documenting his or her condition,” Zawodny continues. “OPM has a doctor who can review the documentation submitted by the physician to determine if the condition qualifies for AFA purposes.”

able to all federal employees who did not retire on disability under CSRS or FERS. At the time, the benefit provided for a lump-sum payment and a reduced monthly annuity.

The lump-sum payment in the original legislation was an amount equal to the unrefunded CSRS or FERS retirement contributions the employee had made throughout his or her career, along with any deposits or redeposit payments the employee had made to the retirement fund for service that was not subject to retirement deductions or for service for which the employee had once withdrawn his or her retirement deductions.

Originally, the lump-sum payment was made in one installment and was paid when the application for retirement was processed. Between 1986 and the early 1990s, however, the manner in which the lump sum was paid out changed several times.

First, the payout went from one payment to two payments, with 60 percent of the lump sum being paid when the application for retirement was processed, and the remaining 40 percent paid a year later. Later on, the distribution changed to 50 percent for each payment.

In the early 1990s, Congress limited the option to employees whose nondisability retirement was based on an involuntary separation from federal service, and to those employees retiring on nondisability retirement who had life-threatening medical conditions. Employees retiring on life-threatening medical conditions received their lump-sum payment in full when their application for retirement was processed.

The eligibility requirements took their current form in the mid-1990s, when only employees with a life-threatening medical condition who were retiring on nondisability retirement were allowed to take advantage of the option.

The option is not often used. Of the approximately 100,000 federal employees who retired in 2013, only nine retired under the AFA. Since 2006, about 800,000 federal employees have retired; 156 qualified for and chose the AFA.

HISTORY OF THE AFA OPTION AFA was first authorized in the legislation that created the FERS retirement system, which was passed in 1986. The option was originally avail-

TAX IMPLICATIONS There are tax issues related to accepting a lumpsum payment. According to OPM, 80 to 95 percent of the lump sum is taxable in the year

2 0 14

in which it is received – unless an annuitant chooses to defer the income tax requirement by rolling over all or part of the payment to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or to another retirement plan that accepts rollovers.

Once the lump-sum payment is received, a tax liability is incurred. That liability does not change even if, at some future date, the lump sum is repaid to OPM. If all or part of the lump sum is paid directly into an IRA, no income tax will be withheld from any payment rolled into a traditional IRA – the payment will not be taxable until it is taken out. Federal income tax will not be withheld from any payments made into a Roth IRA, unless the annuitant elects for it to be withheld.

OPM can send the payment directly to the IRA, or to the annuitant in a check made payable to the IRA. If all or part of the taxable portion of the lump sum is paid directly to the annuitant, he or she will only receive 80 percent of the payment.

OPM will withhold 20 percent for tax, which will be sent to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to be credited against the annuitant’s taxes.

The annuitant may be able to use special tax rules to reduce the taxes he or she owes. However, an additional 10 percent tax may apply if the lump sum is received before he or she reaches the age of 59½. Annuitants also can defer the income tax by rolling over all or part of the taxable portion of the lump sum within 60 days after receiving it.

If an annuitant wants to roll over 100 percent of the payment within 60 days, he or she must find other money to replace the 20 percent that was withheld. If the annuitant rolls over the 80 percent he or she receives, the 20 percent that was not rolled over will be taxed. Annuitants cannot defer paying income tax on moneys rolled into a Roth IRA.

Zurndorfer conducts retirement seminars for federal employees in both the CSRS and FERS systems, and writes a regular column for retirees at www.myfederalretirement.com. He also writes articles about retirement for Federal Employees News Digest.

“Remember that if you elect this option, you’re going to get your annuity reduced,” he explains.

“The question is, why would someone want to get their lump-sum payment? One obvious answer is because they need the money. Perhaps they have some pending bills.”

“If I have a client who comes to me and asks if he or she should take the alternative annuity, my reaction would be that it depends on your need for the money. If you’d just like to get that money up front, then I say no. Why would you need to take a reduction in your annuity? If you do not give me a specific reason why you want to receive the lump-sum payment, I would say it’s not a good idea.”

Zurndorfer can do calculations to determine at what point over time taking the lump-sum payment and investing it is more cost effective than taking the full value of the annuity. He believes, however, that most people receiving a lump-sum payment are not going to invest what they receive. “When they get a lump-sum payment, it’s gone – it’s finished. They’ve already spent it.”

He suggests that seriously ill employees considering the option also consider another possibility: disability retirement. CSRS employees retiring on disability who do not receive military pay or veterans’ compensation receive a guaranteed minimum annuity that is either 40

OPINIONS OF A FINANCIAL PLANNER Should the option be more widely used, even among the limited number of prospective retirees who qualify for it? Not necessarily, says certified financial planner, IRS-enrolled agent and federal government retiree Edward A. Zurndorfer.

list of conditions that meet

The Office of Personnel Management provides a

the requirements for electing this option. w w w. n a r f e . o r g

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55

Alternative form of A nnuity

percent of the average of the employee’s highest three years of salary, or the amount that the employee would receive after increasing his or her service time from the date the annuity would begin to the date of the employee’s 60th birthday, whichever is less.

FERS participants younger than 62 years of age receive 60 percent of their high-three salary, minus 100 percent of their Social Security benefit for any month in which they are entitled to such benefits. After 12 months, however, benefits drop to 40 percent. When they reach age 62, their annuity is recomputed using an amount that essentially represents the annuity they would have received until the day before their 62nd birthday and then retired under nondisability retirement.

AFA is not available to federal employees who retire under disability retirement. “The advantage of disability retirement is that you get your full annuity,” says Zurndorfer.

Zurndorfer adds another caveat for those under the FERS system. “Most FERS employees put only 0.8 percent of their salaries into retirement, compared to 8 percent for CSRS retirees. The lump-sum payment for CSRS retirees is going to be much higher than those under FERS. Despite this, the annuity for FERS retirees is going to be reduced – and their annuity is much lower than that of CSRS retirees to begin with.”

The financial planner believes patients who have major medical procedures coming up, or need to go into a nursing home, or must receive assisted living for care should seriously consider the AFA option. He also notes that the provision enabling spouses to receive the full amount of their annuity is an important benefit of the option.

MAKING YOUR DECISION The decision on whether to use AFA is not a simple one. The small percentage of federal employees who have chosen this option in recent years indicates that the restrictions outweigh the advantages for many, even among the limited number of employees who meet the eligibility requirements. Hopefully, few NARFE members will have to deal with the life-threatening illnesses or other critical medical conditions that 56

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are the prerequisite for eligibility for this option – but all should heed the words of Tammy Flanagan of the National Institute of Transition Planning.

When Flanagan was asked to write about the top five things federal employees should know as they plan for retirement, she suggested they should: “Think about what you don’t want to think about. Do you know what would happen if you died or became disabled before retirement?

No one really likes to think about this possibility, but it happens, and advance planning can make it a lot easier to deal with.”

Knowing that AFA exists, and making the best choice for your own situation on whether to use the option, should be an important part of your own preretirement planning if you are coping with serious illness.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Besides Chapter 53 of the CSRS and FERS Handbook (mentioned earlier), OPM offers an additional pamphlet that may be helpful, RI 38-123, titled “Alternative Annuity Election Information for Employees,” which is available at www.opm.gov/retirement-services/ publications-forms/pamphlets/ri38-123.pdf.

OPM also publishes two pamphlets on disability retirement for federal employees. “Information About Disability Retirement (CSRS)” can be found at www.opm.gov/forms/pdfimage/ sf3112-1.pdf, and “Information About Disability Retirement (FERS)” can be found at www.opm. gov/forms/pdfimage/sf3112-2.pdf.

Zurndorfer has written an article on AFA that focuses on the tax implications of the option. It can be found at www.myfederalretirement.com/ public/1143.cfm.

IRS Publication 575 (Pension and Annuity Income); Publication 590 (Individual Retirement Arrangements); and Publication 721 (Tax Guide to U.S. Civil Service Retirement Benefits) all provide specific information on the tax treatment of payments from qualified retirement plans and are available online. You also may wish to consult a professional tax adviser.

—Everett A. (Ev) Chasen is a writer and a communications consultant, and co-author of the book “The Manager’s Communication Toolbox,” published in 2012 by ASTD Press. He retired from the federal government in 2009 after 35 years of service.

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Managing Money

Taxes Can take Retirees By Surprise

A

recent survey by Lincoln Financial Group finds that taxes take many retirees by surprise. In Lincoln’s survey, retirees anticipated home

(including mortgage), health care and leisure to be the most significant expenses during retirement. These retirees, however, found that taxes were among their actual top expenses.

For many retirees, tax surprises often stem from not fully understanding distribution options and tax rules of tax-deferred retirement plans, such as the Thrift Savings Plan, 401(k)s and traditional IRAs. While tax-deferred retirement plans provide terrific benefits, many savers allocate so much of their cash flow to tax-deferred retirement plans that they end up with a majority and, in many cases, all of their savings in such plans. As with most things in life, too much of a good thing often has adverse consequences.

For those retirees who have gone all-in with tax-deferred retirement plans, proactive planning can help lessen the negative tax consequences discretionary and required distributions may present.

Running cash flow projections and estimating the timing of big cash outlays for things such as cars, boats or other big-ticket retirement goals will provide an opportunity to 58

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time the distributions to your advantage.

Consider this real-life example: A couple who will be retiring in five years plans on buying a sailboat – to the tune of $150,000 – and sailing the Caribbean islands for months at a time. While they had amassed significant assets, their entire nest egg sat in tax-deferred retirement accounts. Their plan was to retire and then simply liquidate enough money from their retirement accounts to buy their dream boat.

At the time, the couple was in the 25 percent tax bracket, and it was projected they would remain in the 25 percent bracket after retirement. The couple’s problem was that if they took a $150,000 lump-sum distribution from their retirement accounts, only about $30,000 of the distribution would be taxed at the 25 percent rate, while the remainder would be subject to the 28 percent and 33 percent tax rates. To make matters worse, they would have

By Mark A. Keen,

CFP®

to take an additional $65,000 out to cover the taxes on the distribution in order to net the $150,000 they needed.

With time on our side, we were able to put together a strategy that involved converting a portion of their tax-deferred retirement accounts to a Roth IRA over each of their remaining five working years, keeping each conversion at a tax rate of 25 percent.

The result is they were able to distribute $200,000 out of their tax-deferred accounts with a total federal tax liability of about $50,000, which was a savings of nearly $15,000 in taxes when compared to taking a lump-sum distribution.

Large retirement plan distributions aren’t the only culprit when it comes to generating tax snafus for retirees. Required minimum distributions, which, for the most part, begin at age 70½, can catch retirees off guard and cause tax headaches as well.

Not only can the additional income from the required distributions bump you up into a higher tax bracket, but they may affect how much tax you pay on Social Security benefits as well as how much you pay for your Medicare Part B premiums.

Tax-deferred retirement plan distributions also can surprise

FINANCIAL TOOLS NARFE offers an online retirement calculator and other financial planning tools. Find out more at www.narfe.org/ federalbenefits.

widows and widowers. When a spouse dies, the surviving spouse will shift from the joint tax table to the single tax table. Often times, the result is that the surviving spouse ends up in a higher tax bracket.

For those still in the accumulation phase, it may prove beneficial to take a more tax-diversified approach and save money in other types of accounts rather than funneling all savings into tax-

deferred plans. This includes Roth IRAs and Roth TSPs, which are funded with after-tax dollars but provide tax-free distributions, as well as taxable accounts. Such accounts can take advantage of special rules for capital gains and dividends.

This diversified savings approach provides the flexibility during the distribution phase to selectively take money from the type of account that makes the most sense given financial circumstances and tax rules at that time.

While taxes are unavoidable, understanding the rules of retirement plans and proactive planning can help lessen the toll taxes take on your finances.

Mark A. Keen, CFP®, is partner, Keen & Pocock, 10300 Eaton place, Fairfax, VA, and an investment adviser representative and registered principal of The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. (SFA). Securities and advisory services are offered through SFA. Email: mkeen@keenpocock.com.

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2013

2014

2013

For the Record

Thrift Savings Plan Monthly Returns G FUND

F FUND

C FUND

S FUND

I FUND

SEPTEMBER

0.19%

0.99%

3.14%

5.89%

7.41%

OCTOBER

0.19%

0.89%

4.60%

2.94%

3.38%

NOVEMBER

0.18%

(0.35%)

3.05%

2.49%

0.75%

DECEMBER

0.19%

(0.56%)

2.54%

2.94%

1.51%

JANUARY

0.21%

1.58%

(3.45%)

(1.91%)

(4.03%)

FEBRUARY

0.18%

0.62%

4.58%

5.43%

5.58%

March

0.19%

(0.15%)

0.85%

(0.69%)

(0.57%)

APRIL

0.20%

0.90%

0.75%

(2.47%)

1.51%

MAY

0.20%

1.21%

2.35%

1.52%

1.72%

June

0.19%

0.14%

2.07%

4.45%

0.99%

JULY

0.19%

(0.19%)

(1.37%)

(4.38%)

(1.95%)

AUGUST

0.20%

1.12%

4.01%

4.98%

(0.14%)

YTD

1.57%

5.34%

9.94%

6.62%

2.86%

LAST 12 MO

2.33%

6.35%

25.34%

22.61%

16.80%

10 yr

3.61%

5.25%

7.12%

10.79%

8.39%

L INCOME

L 2020

L 2030

L 2040

L 2050

SEPTEMBER

1.12%

2.71%

3.40%

3.90%

4.42%

OCTOBER

1.01%

2.23%

2.75%

3.11%

3.47%

NOVEMBER

0.58%

1.24%

1.54%

1.74%

1.93%

2014

DECEMBER

0.58%

1.25%

1.56%

1.77%

1.98%

JANUARY

(0.42%)

(1.57%)

(2.04%)

(2.35%)

(2.71%)

FEBRUARY

1.15%

2.73%

3.44%

3.94%

4.44%

MARCH

0.19%

0.17%

0.14%

0.12%

0.09%

APRIL

0.31%

0.39%

0.37%

0.32%

0.32%

MAY

0.64%

1.20%

1.46%

1.63%

1.78%

JUNE

0.58%

1.19%

1.52%

1.77%

1.96%

JULY

(0.26%)

(0.97%)

(1.34%)

(1.63%)

(1.86%)

AUGUST

0.84%

1.64%

2.07%

2.40%

2.61%

YTD

3.05%

4.81%

5.64%

6.20%

6.63%

LAST 12 MO

6.48%

12.82%

15.73%

17.82%

19.75%

THIS CHART is provided as a service to NARFE members who enrolled in the Thrift Savings Plan while employed by the federal government. Retirees are not eligible for enrollment. These returns are net of the effect of accrued administrative expenses and investment expenses/costs. Percentages in () are negative. Source: TSP G Fund: Government securities (specially issued to the TSP) F Fund: Government, corporate and mortgage-backed bonds C Fund: Stocks of large- and medium-size U.S. companies S Fund: Stocks of small- to medium-size U.S. companies (not included in the C Fund) I Fund: International stocks of 21 developed countries L Fund: Invested in the G, F, C, S and I Funds (The proportion of L Fund balance invested in each of the individual TSP funds depends on the L Fund chosen.)

60

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Most funds rose in august rally Global markets rebounded during August despite concerns with overseas growth and continuing geopolitical turbulence.

The S&P 500 (C Fund) handed investors a solid performance along with another all-time high. Small cap stocks (S Fund) came back strongly from last month with investors again focusing on smaller, growth-oriented companies. International equities (I Fund) were the only stock group that did not participate in the rally and generated a small negative return.

The fixed-income markets (F Fund) also joined the global market rally and registered a record all-time high.

—BY Benjamin Gong, Financial analyst, Thrift Savings Plan

Countdown to COLA

T

he Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) decreased 0.08 percent in July. To calculate the 2015 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), the indices of July, August and September 2014 will be averaged and compared with the 2013 third-quarter average of 230.327. The percentage increase, if any, determines the COLA. July’s index, 234.525, is up 1.82 percent from the base.

Benefits awarded under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) to individuals suffering work-related injuries or illnesses are adjusted according to each calendar year’s percentage change in the CPI-W. July’s index is 2.33 percent higher than the December 2013 base index of 229.174.

The CPI represents purchases of food and beverages, housing, apparel, transportation, medical care, recreation, education and communication, and other goods and services. Included are various government fees, such as water charges, auto registration fees, and sales and excise taxes.

Month

CPI-W

October 2013

229.735

November December

Monthly % Change

% Change from 230.327

-0.3

-0.26

229.133

-0.26

-0.52

229.174

+0.02

-0.50

January 2014

230.040

+0.38

-0.12

February

230.871

+0.36

+0.24

March

232.560

+0.73

+0.97

April

233.443

+0.38

+1.35

May

234.216

+0.33

+1.69

June

234.702

+0.21

+1.90

July

234.525

-0.08

+1.82

August September

Donate to NARFE Programs Support Alzheimer’s Research Write your chapter number on check; make it payable to: NARFE-Alzheimer’s Research and mail to: Alzheimer’s Association 225 N. Michigan Ave., 17th Floor Chicago, IL 60601-7633

NARFE members contributed for Alzheimer’s research: $11 Million Fund

$10,965,805*

*Total as of July 31, 2014 100% of all contributed funds go to Alzheimer’s research.

Your charitable contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Enclosed is my NARFE-Alzheimer’s contribution: $ Every cent that is contributed is used for research.

Please circle: Mr. Mrs. Miss Ms. Name: Address: City: State: ZIP: Chapter Number: Credit Card Information:

MasterCard VISA If you have any questions, write to:

Discover AMEX National Committee Chair Card Number: Jane Rodgers, P.O. Box 234 Expiration Date: (mm)/ (yy) Wadesville, IN 47638-0234 3-Digit Security Code: Name: (please print) Email: ajrodgers@tds.net Signature

Join the Silver CIrcle Clip this contribution form and mail to: NARFE Silver Circle, 606 N. Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314

•For a contribution of $25 or more, you will receive a Silver Circle pin, and your name will be listed in narfe magazine with other contributors.

•For a contribution of $1,000 or more, your name will be placed on the “Wall of Fame” at NARFE Headquarters.

YOUR CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION IS TAX-DEDUCTIBLE TO THE FULLEST EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW.

/

Enclosed is my Silver Circle contribution: $ ID # (ID # may be found on your narfe magazine label or your NARFE membership card)

Name: Address: City: Silver Circle contributions are NOT deductible for federal income tax purposes.

Installment Plan Wall of Fame 12-month installment plan

Give to the Scholarship and Disaster Funds

Please mail coupon and check to: FEEA 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 300 Lakewood, CO 80227

/

All donations go to the NARFE General Fund to support NARFE programs and operations.

State:

ZIP:

My check is enclosed

(Please make check payable to NARFE Silver Circle.)

Please charge my credit card Card type MasterCard VISA

Discover AMEX Card Number: Expiration Date: (mm)/ (yy) Name: (please print)

Signature

Make check payable to: NARFE-FEEA Disaster Fund or NARFE-FEEA Scholarship Fund.

Date

YES!

Date

/

/

I would like to help with my contribution.

Please check appropriate box(es). To make credit card contributions, call 800-338-0755. Scholarships are available to children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of federal civilian retirees and current federal employees who are NARFE members.

NARFE-FEEA Disaster Fund

Amount: $

NARFE-FEEA Scholarship Fund

Amount: $

Name: Address: City:

State:

ZIP:

NARFE News

You Were there

Orlando: In with the New

D

elegates to NARFE’s 33rd Bi ennial National Convention in Orlando, FL, overwhelmingly approved two ballot questions aimed at helping to ensure the Association’s future viability.

They voted, with 82.16 percent in favor, to require two National Officer positions – President and SecretaryTreasurer – rather than four, thereby eliminating Vice President and combining Secretary and Treasurer.

They also endorsed, with 85.89 percent of the vote, the continued development of Future NARFE, using the Future of NARFE Committee Report as the foundation.

With the question of the number of National Officers settled by ballot, the delegates proceeded to elect Richard G. Thissen, current National Treasurer, as President, and Jon W. Dowie, member of Chapter 33 in St.

Silver circle Donors Update As of August 15, NARFE’s Silver Circle donation program stands at $133,507.

The program gives members a vehicle to donate to the Association beyond the norm.

Donors of $25 or more are listed in narfe magazine and receive a Silver Circle pin. Donors of $1,000 or more have their names engraved on the Wall

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NARFE’s IT Department ran a test of live online streaming of the National Convention that proved so successful that the video has been made available on the NARFE website for general viewing. In addition, the NARFE Communications Department published daily bulletins, which were posted on the website, Facebook and Twitter.

Augustine, FL, as Secretary-Treasurer. The presidential race came down to a runoff between Thissen and Ken Thomas, immediate past president of the Florida Federation, when none of the three original candidates (Thissen, Thomas and Elaine C. Hughes, current National Secretary) received a majority on the first ballot.

Delegates also elected regional vice presidents (RVPs). The National Executive Board, consisting of the National Officers and RVPs, was sworn in August 28, the final day of the five-day gathering. The two-year terms of office begin November 1.

In the photo above, NARFE National President Joseph A. Beaudoin, left, swears in the new NEB. They are, from left in the photo: Thissen; Dowie; Evelyn Kirby, Chester, MD, (re-elected) Region II; Marshal L.

Richards, Hallsville, TX, Region VI; Edward J. Konys, Enon, OH, Region IV; Gerald M. Janci, Pittsboro, MS, Region III; James P. Crawford, Bristol, NH, Region I; Carol R. Ek of McPherson, KS, (re-elected) Region V; Lanny G. Ross, Bremerton, WA, (re-elected) Region IX; Helen L. Zajac, Vallejo, CA, (re-elected) Region VIII; Rodney L. Adelman, Goodyear, AZ, Region VII; and William Shackelford, Centreville, VA, Region X. The convention also heard from a number of outside speakers, including Katherine Archuleta, director of the Office of Personnel Management, who thanked NARFE for its “tireless support of our federal family” and asked members for help in recruiting young people to government service.

Additional convention coverage will appear in the November issue.

of Fame at NARFE Headquarters.

Donors from April 16-August 15 are listed here with their chapter numbers.

Lawrence Lancaster of Chapter 511 in California qualifies for the Wall of Fame with a contribution of $1,000 or more: Arizona: Dianna D. Dimick, 1400.

Florida: Edward G. Courtney, 1263.

Georgia: Betty L. Godwin, 0316.

International: Guy A. Mougel, 4044.

Maine: Roland A. Metayer, 1804; Claire R. Breton, 1804. Maryland: Nedra H. Ruckman, 0410; Charles

H. Schaub, 1888. New Jersey: Peter Chapas, 0988. Nevada: Marshall D. Vaughan, 0142; Donald N. Babb, 2167.

New York: Robert L. Acerno, 0023; Norma Alford, 0500. North Carolina: Bill R. Austin, 0105. Oregon: Lou Piha, 0210. Pennsylvania: Robert J. Haehnle, 0301; Robert J. Schlosser, 1301. Virginia: Steve Cooper, 0232; Anna F. Carrera, 0489; Gregory V. Hekel, 0737; John Bankson, 1159.

West Virginia: E. Jean Samples, 0174.

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Active and Retired Federal Employees ...

JOIN NARFE TODAY!

National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association The only organization dedicated solely to protecting and preserving the benefits of all federal workers and retirees, NARFE informs you of any developments and proposals that affect your compensation, retirement and health benefits, AND provides clear answers to your benefit questions.

Who Should Join?

Three Easy Ways To Join 1.

2.

3.

N A R F E M E M B E R S H I P A P P L I C AT I O N n YES. I want to join NARFE. n Mr. n Mrs. n Miss n Ms. Full Name ________________________________________ Street Address ____________________________________ Apt./Unit ________________________________________

I am a (check all that apply) n n n n n

Active Federal Employee Active Federal Employee Spouse Annuitant Annuitant Spouse Survivor Annuitant

n Please enroll my spouse

City _______________________ State _____ zIp ________

Spouse’s Full Name ________________________________

phone (__________) _______________________________

Spouse’s Email ____________________________________

Email____________________________________________

NARFE respects the privacy of our members. Personal information is used to provide content and relevant communications to our members, and will not be sold or rented to third parties without your express permission.

Choose Your Membership Type o eNARFE Chapter Online Membership – $40 NARFE’s electronic chapter. Receive narfe magazine by mail each month, and all other communications by email and on eNARFE.org. Get important updates and legislative action alerts, and have access to the eNARFE blog.

OR

o Local Chapter Close-to-Home Membership – $40*

PAYMENT OPTIONS n Check, Money Order or Bill pay (payable to NARFE) n Bill me (NARFE membership will start when payment is received.) n Charge my: n MasterCard n VISA n Discover n American Express Card No. _____________________________________ Expiration Date _________ /_________

Affiliation with the NARFE chapter closest to your home.

Receive narfe magazine each month; attend meetings, often with invited speakers; network; and get involved in grass-roots lobbying efforts.

Name on Card _________________________________

Chapter Affiliation: Chapter # __ __ __ __(if known, otherwise enroll me in the chapter closest to my zIp code).

Date _________________________________________

*First-year dues. Subsequent years, $40 plus local chapter dues.

Total Dues $40 First-Year Dues X __________ = __________ per person # Enrolling Total Dues

mm

yyyy

Signature _____________________________________

MAY WE THANK SOMEONE? If applicable, please provide the name, membership and chapter number of the member who introduced you to NARFE: Recruiter’s Name __________________________________ Recruiter’s Membership ID __________________________ Recruiter’s Chapter Number _________________________

MAIL THIS APPLICATION TO NARFE Member Records / 606 N. Washington St. / Alexandria, VA 22314-1914

NARFE’s Dues Withholding Program What is dues withholding?

It is a dues-payment method that gives NARFE members (retirees) the option of having their annual NARFE membership dues deducted from their annuities on a monthly basis.

How does it work?

One-twelfth of your total dues is automatically deducted from your monthly annuity. Your monthly deduction is determined by the following formula: (National dues ÷ 12) + (Chapter dues ÷ 12) = Total Monthly Deduction

Advantages • Save 15% off your annual membership dues!

• Sign up your spouse and double your savings!

• You’ll never get another dues reminder from us!

• Your monthly payment is affordable and convenient!

• You may cancel your dues withholding at any time!

Application process It takes 60-90 days to process your application. Once the process is complete, you will receive a special membership card distinguishing you as a NARFE dues-withholding member.

To learn more about dues withholding, call 800-627-3394.

Retirees, spouses of retirees and annuitant survivors are eligible for dues withholding.

NARFE Dues Withholding Application for Retirees n YES. I want to enroll in NARFE’s Dues Withholding Program (Annual dues of $34 plus Chapter dues of record to be withheld annually.)

Social Security Number (9-digit number)

–

Civil Service Annuity Number

–

C S

–

–

–

(Include prefix, CSA or CSF) (Include any applicable suffix)

n Mr. n Mrs. n Miss n Ms. Full Name _______________________________________

NARFE MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Street Address ___________________________________

NARFE Membership ID ____________________________________

Apt./Unit________________________________________

NARFE Chapter Number____________________________________

City _________________________ State _____ ZIP _____

n YES. I Also Authorize My (NARFE Member) Spouse’s Dues To Be

Phone (__________) ______________________________ Email ___________________________________________ Date of Birth _________ /_________ / ____________________ dd

mm

yyyy

Withheld From My Annuity. (Additional annual dues of $34 plus Chapter dues of record to be withheld annually.)

If YES, enter spouse’s information below.

Spouse’s Name ___________________________________________ Spouse’s Membership ID ___________________________________

AUTHORIZATION (Withholding will begin in 60-90 days). No payment should be forwarded with application.

I authorize the United States Office of Personnel Management to make appropriate deductions from my annuity payments, not to exceed the amount certified by the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association as the amount of dues for which I am annually obligated, in accordance with elections I make below, and to pay the deducted sum to the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE). This authorization shall also apply to any and all dues changes certified by NARFE membership in accordance with elections I make below: Please allow 60-90 days for processing.

I understand that this authorization shall be valid until NARFE receives and processes my written notice of cancellation in accordance with its agreement with the Office of Personnel Management and that any disputes regarding this authorization shall be a matter between NARFE and myself. I hold the Office of Personnel Management harmless for any erroneous allotment deduction made pursuant to this authorization. ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________

Signature of Annuitant or Survivor-Annuitant

Date

Dues payments and gifts or contributions to NARFE are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

MAIL THIS FORM TO: NARFE, ATTN: Member Records, 606 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1914 www.narfe.org 800-627-3394 rr@narfe.org Do not send money with this form

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Member Perks

NARFE Member Perks

are designed to provide NARFE members with a quality option in their search for commonly used products and services.

NARFE makes no guarantee on any products and services listed, and encourages its members to shop and compare before making a decision on any financial matter.

Credit Union

NARFE Premier Federal Credit Union 800-328-1500 www.NARFEpremierfcu.org As a member of NARFE, you have the privilege of joining NARFE Premier Federal Credit Union, which has been serving members since 1935. We offer extensive services at competitive rates to members nationwide. Your savings are federally insured to at least $250,000 and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government. For more information, call the number above, email jparish@narfepremierfcu.org or visit the website.

insurance

NARFE Insurance Services 800-233-5764 www.narfeinsurance.com Designed and administered by Mercer Health & Benefits Insurance Services, LLC, exclusively for NARFE members: Senior Whole Life, Term Life, Medicare Supplements, Hospital Income Plan, Short Term Recovery Insurance, Pet Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Cancer Care, Enhanced Dental Insurance and Long Term Care. Go to the website for more information on these programs.

GEICO 800-368-2734 NARFE members with good driving records may be eligible for quality au-

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tomobile insurance from GEICO. Ask about the NARFE discount available to members in many states. Call today for your free, no-obligation rate quote. Be sure to mention that you’re a NARFE member!

• Discount amount varies in some states • Discount not available in all states or in all GEICO companies • One group discount applicable per policy.

Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program 800-LTC FEDS www.LTCFEDS.com Make long-term care insurance part of your retirement plan. With benefits designed specifically for the federal family, the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program offers a smart way to help protect savings and assets, and remain independent should you need long-term care services someday. Start planning for the future. Visit www.LTCFEDS.com today.

Vacation rentals

Government Employees Travel Opportunities® 877-867-3639 www.getravelop.com/narfe Offers government employees, retirees and their families 7-night stays for only $349 on accommodations at popular destinations worldwide.

Book online and save on your next vacation stay.

hotels

Choice Hotels International 800-258-2847 www.choicehotels.com With 6,000 hotels in the United States and throughout the world, Choice Hotels® offers something for everyone. Join the Choice Privileges® rewards program and earn points with every qualifying stay toward free nights, Airline Rewards, gift cards and more. As a NARFE member, receive 20% off your next stay at participating hotels when you use Special Rate ID 00801967. This offer is subject to availability and cannot be combined with any other offer. Advance reservations required.

Wyndham Hotel Group 877-670-7088 As a member of NARFE, you will receive up to 20% off the “Best Available Rate” at participating locations.

Call and give the agent your special discount ID number, 8000002694, at time of booking to receive discount.

Whether you are looking for an upscale hotel, an all-inclusive resort or something more cost-effective, we have the right hotel for you... and at the right price. So start saving now.

Call our special member-benefits hotline 877-670-7088 and reserve your room today at one of these fine hotels: Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®, Days Inn®, Ramada Worldwide®, Super 8®, Wingate By Wyndham®, Baymont Inns and Suites®, Hawthorn Suites® By

Wyndham, Microtel Inns and Suites®, Howard Johnson®, Travelodge® and Knights Inn®.

car rentals

National You Drive A Hard Bargain. Receive up to 20% off rentals at National Car Rental. To make a reservation call National Car Rental at 1-800-CARRENT® and reference Contract ID 5282909.

Alamo

mention you are a NARFE member and ask for Todd.

Wheaton World Wide Moving 800-248-7960 www.narfe@wvlcorp.com At Wheaton, we know interstate relocating is much more than trucks and boxes. Moving is not simply an address change. It’s a life change.

With a network of top-quality agents throughout the United States, Wheaton provides peace of mind with every relocation. We offer you, as a NARFE member, benefits to help you have a positive interstate relocation experience. Call Angela and mention you are a NARFE member to start the moving process.

Drive Happy® with Alamo® where NARFE members receive year-round discounts. Call 1-800-462-5266 and reference Contract ID 262544.

The employees/owners of Avis offer guaranteed low rates and quality services to members of NARFE. Call 800-331-1441 and mention ID# A991900.

Moving services

Bekins Van Lines 800-248-4810 www.narfe@bekins.com All NARFE members will receive contracted pricing for all interstate shipments. This will apply to packing, transportation and full-value coverage against damages. In addition, Bekins Van Lines can assist with instate shipments, local moves and international moves with competitive pricing and quality service. Please

1. Stroke/Carotid Artery 2. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm 3. Atrial Fibrillation 4. Peripheral Arterial Disease.

You will receive a confidential written report within 21 days. Life Line Screening and NARFE encourage you to share these test results with your doctor. All four screenings cost just $135. To schedule an appointment, please call the number above and give the operator code number BKHN075 or visit the website. Coverage may vary and may not be available in all states.

narfe merchandise emergency services

Avis

Life Line Screening, America’s leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, will conduct the following screenings using state-of-the-art ultrasound technology in your neighborhood.

MASA 800-423-3226 Medical Air Services Association has been the industry leader in prepaid emergency assistance services for more than 30 years. NARFE members have experienced MASA’s “peace of mind” services since 2001. Now NARFE members are entitled to even more: air ambulance transportation, helicopter transportation, ground ambulance, vehicle return, mortal remains transport, and much more!

Call MASA Today. It Could Save Your Life!

health screening

Life Line Screening 800-324-9906 www.lifelinescreening.com/ NARFE

NARFE General Store 855-99NARFE (855-996-2733) www.narfegeneralstore.com As the official provider of NARFE merchandise, the NARFE General Store offers NARFE-approved name badges, business cards, customizable logo products and plaques. Check out our online catalog.

NOT A MEMBER? GO ONLINE: It’s easy to join online at www.narfe.org. Click “Join NARFE.” TURN TO PAGE 64: Fill out the Membership Application and mail it to NARFE to receive all the perks of being a NARFE member.

Call (Toll-Free) 800-627-3394.

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The Way We Worked

A Blast to save the past In this 1936 photo, employees of the Division of Cleaning and Rehabilitation at the National Archives use hoses to gently dust the records of the Veterans Bureau with compressed air. Having not been properly stored prior to the establishment of the National Archives, many records required care and attention upon their arrival at the Archives. Today, when new records are accessioned, they are put in folders and boxes and stored in stacks that are temperature and humidity controlled to prevent damage.

Photo courtesy of Christina James, National Archives History Office; Records of the National Archives; in collaboration with the Society for History in the Federal Government (SHFG), bringing together government professionals, academics, consultants, students and citizens interested in understanding federal history work and the historical development of the federal government. Website: http://shfg.org/shfg/.

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Did you know?

The National Archives offers preservation tips at www. archives.gov/preservation.

You can learn how to preserve family papers; photographic materials; digital and electronic media; audio, video and motion pictures; and more. The site also provides helpful information on how to recover records damaged in an emergency such as flood or fire.

We’re In The Business Of Saving You More.

NARFE members could save even more on GEICO auto insurance with a special discount!

Plus, every quote helps support NARFE.

a subsidiary of berkshire hathaway inc.

geico.com/fed/narfe 1-800-368-2734 | Local Office Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Discount amount varies in some states. One group discount applicable per policy. Coverage is individual. In New York a premium reduction may be available. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2014. © 2014 GEICO

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