Federal Retirees Get In On the Stimulus

The original version of the stimulus bill included a cash payment to Social Security, Veterans, Supplemental Security Income and Railroad Retirement recipients, but not Civil Service Retirement System annuitants. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association is claiming a bit of the credit for getting that changed, so CSRS retirees will get a one-time $250 refundable tax credit. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of Senator John Kerry (D-MA) as well as Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and other federal-friendly lawmakers, no federal retirees were excluded. These lawmakers went to the mat for federal retirees, and fought an uphill policy and timing battle to include these individuals at each step of the process,” Margaret Baptiste, NARFE's president, said in a statement today.

Update: NTEU was in on the lobbying on this too. Colleen Kelley says "This language will ensure that federal retirees who spent their lives in public service are provided the economic relief they have earned and deserve."