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S. 357: Federal Freeze Act

119th Congress · introduced 2025-02-03 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

Federal Freeze Act

Plain summary

Federal Freeze Act This bill bars pay raises for federal employees for one year and requires reductions in the number of employees at each federal agency. The bill prohibits agencies from increasing the basic pay of any employee for one year after enactment. Also in that first year, the bill prohibits each federal agency from increasing the number of its employees beyond the number employed on the date of the bill's enactment, except that the agency may increase such number (1) when making appointments to positions related to law enforcement, public safety, or national security; or (2) if the individual so appointed is essential to emergency response under the Stafford Act. (The Stafford Act authorizes the President to issue declarations that provide states, tribes, and localities with a range of federal assistance in response to natural disasters and man-made incidents). Additionally, the bill requires reductions in force such that within three years of the bill's enactment the number of employees at each agency is 5% lower than it was on the date of the bill's enactment. Employees that serve the interest of law enforcement, public safety, or national security or are essential to emergency response under the Stafford Act are not counted for the purposes of determining the number of employees at each agency.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] · 0 cosponsors

Money: No cost estimate published yet. No linked contracts or vendors yet.

Words on this page, explained (2)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong119-s357 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills