Federal employees are mostly sideline observers of the Congressional budget deliberations. And yet, you have the greatest interest in what's going on because it affects your professional life rather profoundly. Although there's sort of a topline number, no one know what individual departments, agencies or programs will actually get. From the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, John Hatton weighs in.

Plus, as federal employees open their first paychecks of the new year, most are glad for a somewhat bigger number. That’s thanks to that 5.2% federal pay raise and locality adjustment for General Schedule workers in 2024. But not everyone will get their full raise, because of something called pay compression. I discussed this with Federal News Network's Drew Friedman.

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