3.9 Percent Raise Advances in Senate

The Senate Appropriations Committee has backed a 3.9 percent average general schedule raise in January, following the lead of its counterpart House panel in action on its financial services-general government spending bill for the upcoming fiscal year. The action by the key spending committees of both chambers significantly strengthens the prospects that the raise will ultimately be set at that figure, which is 1 percentage point higher than the White House requested.