Pay Raise Still to Be Decided

The annual appropriations process also is the vehicle for setting a federal employee pay raise for the following January—or, in the case of the last three years, not providing one. The White House continues to recommend 1 percent in its comments on the spending bills — and so far there has been no move to block it. The Senate spending bills have been silent so far, with the best chance of that chamber taking a position being in the financial services-general government bill that has yet to move out of committee. The bills moving through the House are neutral on a raise, stating that if one is paid, the cost would have to be absorbed from salaries and expenses accounts. Those are the same accounts that already would be under pressure due to sequestration.