Although the president?s federal budget for 2003 will maintain current levels of retirement and health benefits for federal employees, their unions and Congress members are questioning the intention of proposed accounting changes. Under the current system, cost of living allowances (COLAs) and health benefits for retirees are paid from central funds that are guaranteed and not subject to budget appropriations. The Bush administration?s proposal to consolidate all benefits of the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) under the control of the various federal agencies that employ federal workers have been condemned by the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, the National Treasury Employees Union, and some elected officials as a possible attempt to subvert the guarantees of the CSRS by putting them within the realm of Congressional appropriations debates.
See "Suspicion Aroused by Retirement Accounting Changes in Bush Budget", STEPHEN BARR, The Washington Post, February 5, 2002