Panel approves 3.9 percent pay increase

The House Appropriations Committee has approved a 3.9 percent pay increase for federal civilian employees next year in its markup of the fiscal 2009 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, The raise matches the 2009 raise for members of the military adopted by the House last month. The Bush administration earlier this year proposed a 2.9 percent raise for civilian workers in fiscal 2009 and a 3.4 percent increase for military personnel. The measure approved June 25 also would place a one-year moratorium on new public/private competitions for federal work under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76. Critics of the A-76 process say it favors private contractors. Under the Bush administration, “the army of federal contractors has grown considerably as agencies find themselves under pressure to put a variety of jobs — many of which previously have been considered inherently governmental — up for bid to the private sector,” said Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union. “This bill will put an end to runaway federal contracting.”