Panel to Advance Bill Allowing Raise, Setting Policies

The House Appropriations Committee is set to vote tomorrow (June 9) on the general government appropriations bill, the key annual spending measure for federal employees. The measure, like its three predecessors, says nothing about a raise for the following January, in effect clearing the way for one to take effect by default. The figure almost certainly would be the 1.6 percent the White House recommended earlier this year, most likely with a locality pay carve-out that would yield raises ranging from slightly above to slightly below that figure. The measure also funds the central management agencies such as OPM and GSA, financial regulatory agencies, and the IRS. That agency’s budget especially would remain tight, although money would be diverted toward improving customer service, while GSA’s construction budget also would be tightened, in part to spur more closing or consolidating of excess facilities. Also, money for the ongoing IT upgrade of OPM’s computer systems in the wake of the thefts from its personnel and background investigation databases would be withheld until OPM produced a detailed report on the project, including expected long-term costs. OPM’s inspector general recently issued the latest in a series of reports questioning the management of that project, including what it considers incomplete—and thus probably understated—cost projections. The bill also continues several long-standing policy restrictions such as a ban on training not directly related to a federal employee’s duties, while adding a new provision barring the IRS from paying awards unless the employee’s conduct and personal tax compliance are considered.