| Strenthening Political Influence - NARFE has a nationwide network of legislative activists with an enviable record of success in staving off the constant barrage of threats to the earned retirement income and health care protection of federal workers and annuitants. NARFE is an effective and highly respected legislative voice for federal workers, retirees and survivors. A professional legislative staff in the National Office keeps NARFE members informed of Administration and Congressional proposals affecting their retirement security. NARFE also coordinates grassroots lobbying campaigns for or against legislation important to federal employees. Proposals to reduce COLAs of current retirees, and reduce annuity amounts for future retirees, have been rejected as a result of NARFE's labors. Time after time, in the face of legislation to cut federal pay and retirement, the prospective dollar loss for annuitants and employees has been staved off or minimuzed by NARFE's intervention. Few benefits are as valuable to employees and annuitants as health insurance. NARFE is always in the forefront of the battle to maintain adequate, affordable and quality health care protection for workers and retirees enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). NARFE representatives played a strategic role in developing a new "Fair Share" premium sharing schedule for the FEHBP. This new formula started saving average enrolee families at least $326 a year when it became effective in 1999. On many legislative fronts - retirement income, health care benefits, COLA protection, fairness and equity issues, and in many other areas as well - NARFE is there, working on behalf of federal employees and annuitants. Taxes are also at the top of NARFE's legislative agenda. NARFE members, through their local chapters and state federations, have successfully challenged state taxation of annuities in the courts and in their respective state houses. NARFE's efforts have again paid off, achieving tax equity for federal retirees in the future and millions of dollars in tax rebates for hundreds of thousands of current annuitants. Fighting for tax equity in the Congress, NARFE long sought to end the practice of "source taxing," whereby some states continued to tax the retirement income of former residents even after they had relocated in another state. NARFE's relentless efforts on behalf of current and future retirees paid off when legislation was enacted to prohibit states from source taxing retirement income paid after 1995. Through NARFE-PAC, the Association's powerful political action committee, NARFE advocates a legislative agenda that promotes the economic security and well-being of federal workers and retirees. This includes supporting candidates for public office who understand and act on issues important to federal workers and retirees. Thanks to the financial support of NARFE membership, NARFE-PAC consistently ranks among the largest political action committees in the nation. |
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