4.1 Percent Raise Figure Advances

Both the House and Senate have moved further to reject President Bush’s proposal for a 2 percent January 2004 raise-a proposal the White House formally reiterated only two weeks ago-in favor of a 4.1 percent average increase. Senate appropriators, in marking up the Transportation-Treasury spending bill for fiscal 2004, incorporated a 4.1 percent figure; the full Senate could vote soon to endorse that amount. Meanwhile, the full House voted to approve a counterpart bill drafted by its own Appropriations Committee that includes the same amount. Like House members, Senate members involved in drafting the language said they favor continuing parity between federal raises and those for uniformed military personnel, who will get average raises of 4.1 percent under other pending measures.