Before departing for recess, both the House and Senate included language in their Fiscal Year 2010 budget resolutions endorsing pay parity between civilian and military federal employees.
The language did not set a specific amount for the pay adjustment, instead asserting the intent of Congress to uphold the tradition of equality. The exact amount of the pay increase will be determined during the appropriations process, which will be underway once Congress reconvenes on April 20th.
“We are pleased to see that Congress is acting to secure pay raise parity,” said Richard N. Brown, National President of the National Federation of Federal Employees. “Federal employees dutifully serve this country every day, despite making on average 23 percent less than those doing similar work in the private sector. They deserve a pay increase that reflects this commitment to public service.”
In the White House’s FY 2010 budget proposal, the administration recommended a pay adjustment of 2.0 percent for civilian federal employees and 2.9 percent for military personnel.