Alex Wong/Getty Images President Donald Trump announced that most civilian federal workers will not receive pay raises in 2019, saying he made the move because of fiscal constraints. Trump said the pay raises would cost the federal government $25 billion, and canceling the raises will "put our nation on a fiscally sustainable course." At the same time, the tax reform law passed by Trump and Republicans in Congress is projected to add $190 billion to the federal deficit in 2019.