Federal workers who claim their pay and benefits are being unfairly targeted to help balance the federal budget rallied in Johnson City Wednesday. The American Federation of Government Employees Local 1687, based at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Mountain Home scheduled the rally and marched from the VA gate at the intersection of Lamont Street and Veterans Way down to the Washington County Veterans Memorial near West Market Street. They complain that legislators are trying to cut federal spending and have already decreased federal worker benefits and are planning to do it again. The federal deficit now stands at more than 15-trillion dollars. A news release from the union stated recent budget proposals place a disproportionate burden on retirement benefits for federal workers pointing to a proposal to cut 30-billion from federal retirement benefits over 10 years. U.S. Representative Phil Roe says the VA is excluded from these type budget reductions adding that the VA will get an increase this coming fiscal year as will the FBI. (bg)