Budget Moves to Next Stage

The congressional appropriations committees have started preliminary work on the spending bills for the upcoming fiscal year that among other things likely will set the size of the January 2006 federal pay raise. The panels have scheduled numerous hearings to examine agencies, although so far none specifically on the Office of Personnel Management, where compensation matters most likely would come up. Capitol Hill is still waiting for a report it ordered OPM to produce, due more than a month ago, assessing overall federal compensation, including both pay and benefits, that some in Congress might try to use as ammunition to hold down the size of the overall raise. Meanwhile, the House and Senate are continuing to work on finalizing a budget blueprint for the year that, unlike many past versions, is silent on the raise.