Key Spending Bill Moving in House

The House is working on the Transportation-Treasury spending bill for fiscal 2006, the measure that traditionally is the vehicle for Congress to take a position on the upcoming year’s federal pay raise. No amendment seeking parity between federal and military raises for January 2006—which would boost the White House’s proposed federal raise from 2.3 percent to 3.1 percent—was offered at the subcommittee level, but an attempt was possible at the full House Appropriations Committee, or during later House floor voting. The early version of the measure continues several long-standing provisions of that bill, including a general ban on abortion coverage in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program and a general requirement that plans cover prescription contraceptives. It also would require the IRS to wait for an outside report before carrying out its plan to close certain taxpayer assistance centers.