President Obama informed House Speaker Paul Ryan on Wednesday that he is proposing a 1 percent increase in the base pay for federal workers in 2017.

"I have determined that for 2017, across-the-board pay increases will be 1.0 percent," Obama wrote.

The White House announced in February that he would try to boost federal pay by an average 1.6 percent in 2017. That total increase includes base pay and "locality pay."

On Wednesday, Obama said he would decide on locality pay hike later, but that it would not exceed 0.6 percent.

"The adjustments described above shall take effect on the first applicable pay period beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2017," Obama wrote.

The issue of federal worker pay has been the subject of annual fights for years between Obama and House Republicans. Republicans prevented pay raises in 2011, 2012 and 2013, but relented and allowed small increases in 2014 and 2015.

In past years, federal workers would routinely get pay hikes of 2 or 3 percent.

It's not yet clear if Republicans will try to block Obama's plan through legislation.