Coming of 'Pay Bands' Spurs Curiosity of Defense Employees

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The pay proposal, given the cold shoulder yesterday by union leaders, would be part of a package that would reduce appropriations by 5 percent at domestic agencies and delay implementation of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit.

The offset package was announced Tuesday by Sens. Sam Brownback (Kan.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), Jim DeMint (S.C.), John Ensign (Nev.), Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.), John McCain (Ariz.) and John E. Sununu (N.H.). The plan is one of several being debated on Capitol Hill, and its prospects are uncertain.

The House and Senate have approved a 3.1 percent average raise for federal employees next year. The Senate has voted to block a 1.9 percent raise for members of Congress, but the House has not signaled any interest in giving up the raise.

Talk Shows

John Settle of SETTLEment Associates LLC will be the guest on "FEDtalk" at 11 a.m. today on http://federalnewsradio.com and WFED radio (1050 AM).

Gwendolyn Sykes , chief financial officer at NASA, will be the guest on "The IBM Business of Government Hour" at 9 a.m. tomorrow on WJFK radio (106.7 FM).

"Rosa Parks: A Working Woman on the Hill" will be the topic of discussion on the Imagene B. Stewart call-in program at 8 a.m. Sunday on WOL radio (1450 AM).

E-mail:barrs@washpost.com

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