Pay, Contracting Out Likely to Be Addressed

The federal pay raise for the succeeding January also typically is set in an appropriations bill. The key measure to watch on the raise issue is the newly renamed financial services-general government spending bill that also provides funds for central agencies such as OPM and the appeals agencies. An amendment likely will be offered to set the raise at 3.5 percent, the figure progressing for military personnel. Also likely to arise as the appropriations bills are drafted are potential limits on contracting out, addressing policies on deciding whether to convert jobs to contract under Circular A-76 and barring studies of certain types of work. A special war appropriations bill passed recently for example banned contracting out of certain Mine Safety and Health Administration and National Energy Technology Laboratory jobs by declaring them “inherently governmental” and thus off-limits to conversion studies.