A Bid for Pay-Raise Parity for Civil Service, Military

By Stephen Barr
Wednesday, May 3, 2006

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (Md.), who holds the second-ranking leadership position among House Democrats, is calling for a 2.7 percent pay raise for federal employees next year, equal to what a House Armed Services subcommittee recommended for military personnel.

The president's fiscal 2007 budget proposed a 2.2 percent raise for the civil service and military, but an Armed Services subcommittee chaired by Rep. John M. McHugh (R-N.Y.) recently backed a 2.7 percent increase for the military. The Armed Services Committee seems likely to accept McHugh's proposal at a meeting scheduled for today.

Hoyer has been a leader in urging Congress to adopt "pay parity" raises for the civil service and the military. As in past years, Hoyer can count on the support of a key Republican, Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (Va.), who chairs the House Government Reform Committee that oversees federal workforce issues.

"Mr. Davis is on board with having parity between the military and the civilians," said Robert White , a committee spokesman. "We are not trying to pull down the military raise, but if the military is going to get 2.7 percent, it is only equitable that the civilians get 2.7 percent."

In a statement, Hoyer said the sacrifices of the military, especially during a time of war, should be recognized through fair pay. Civil service employees also play a vital role in national security and "deserve a fair pay adjustment," Hoyer said.

When the House Appropriations Committee takes up spending bills this month, Hoyer said, he plans to use his position as a committee member to advocate for a higher civil service raise.

Executive Appeal

A group that advocates for federal executives wants to learn about their experiences -- favorable and unfavorable -- with the relatively new pay-for-performance system created for the Senior Executive Service.

About 6,000 career federal employees are SES members, helping direct and manage federal operations. Congress changed the compensation system for the SES more than two years ago, prompting some executives at the Defense Department and NASA last year to question whether they were being treated fairly.

The system's acceptance may hinge on whether executives see it as free from partisan influence and fairly administered, according to a 2005 report by the Congressional Research Service.

Carol A. Bonosaro , president of the Senior Executives Association, said SEA and Avue Technologies have created a Web-based survey to collect the views of the federal executive corps. Executives do not have to be a member of SEA to participate in the survey, she said.

"It is critical that we have hard data instead of anecdotes with which to assess this [pay] system and to make recommendations for any necessary changes," Bonosaro said. "We urge every SES member to respond. We must have a high participation rate so that we will have a very accurate picture of how well the system is working."

To take the survey, go to http://seniorexecs.org , Bonosaro said.

Federal Finalists

Four federal initiatives have been named finalists for the Innovations in American Government Award, a program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government that is administered in a partnership with the nonprofit Council for Excellence in Government.

The finalists, the council said, are:

· America's Army computer game, an online way to learn about Army career opportunities.

· Grass Roots Conservation Program, a Fish and Wildlife Service effort to reward voluntary conservation of habitats in the Blackfoot Watershed in Montana.

· Health Information Technology, a Veterans Affairs Department program to create electronic health-care histories with vital patient information.

· New Alliance Task Force, a project at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to help immigrants, as they become homeowners, avoid predatory lenders.

Carl Fillichio, executive director of the Public Employees Roundtable at the Council for Excellence in Government and a council vice president, will take questions and comments on Public Service Recognition Week at noon today on Federal Diary Live at washingtonpost.com. Stephen Barr may be reached atbarrs@washpost.com.