2003 Pay Raise Still Unsettled

Congress hopes to make a final decision soon on whether the 2003 federal pay raise will remain the 3.1 percent across-the-board amount, with no increase in locality pay, that took effect by default this months or whether to boost it by an additional percentage point, with the additional amount to be divided up as locality pay. The vehicle for the decision will be a continuing resolution budget measure to fund the government through the remainder of the current fiscal year, affecting agencies whose regular appropriations have not yet been enacted-essentially, all agencies except the Defense Department. House and Senate conferees are to meet on a package crafted in the Senate. Leaders are hoping to reach a resolution before the first week of February, when the budget cycle for the next fiscal year is to start.