Order Not the Last Word

President Bush issued the order because Congress has not yet legislated a figure and under pay law an “alternative” raise had to be announced in order to prevent a total increase of about 14 percent from kicking in under federal pay law. However, the order will become a moot point if Congress enacts—and he signs—an appropriations bill or other funding measure containing some other figure. Pending appropriations bills specify a 3.5 percent raise, although they have been hung up for months due to disagreements between the White House and congressional Democrats over general spending policies. Civil service leaders in Congress have said they will work to get a 3.5 percent figure enacted in the coming weeks.