Budget Proposal Due

The White House will release its annual budget proposal next week, kicking off what promises to be less contentious than last year’s process that triggered a partial government shutdown among other disruptions and that didn’t conclude until only a month ago. The budget will call for a 1 percent federal employee raise next January, which would match the figure paid last month. Employee organizations were hoping the plan would include a raise proposal of at least the 1.8 percent that is supposed to be used as the starting point under federal pay law — and in their most optimistic moments they have called for 4 percent. Boosting the raise even above 1 percent could be difficult, however, especially since that same amount will be proposed for the military. And while a recent budgetary deal loosened the purse strings somewhat, the upcoming proposal likely will reflect continued restrictions on hiring, travel, awards and incentive payments as a way to keep agency spending within overall limits. Officials have said, however, that the budget will include an initiative to revive employee development programs, another area that has suffered in recent years.