Senate Subcommittee Backs 2006 Federal Pay Raise Of 3.1 Percent

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development approved the 3.1 percent pay parity measure for federal employees in fiscal year 2006.

Pay parity is alive and well on Capitol Hill. The likelihood of federal civilian workers receiving a 3.1 percent pay raise to match the administration’s proposed raise for members of the military got another boost after a Senate appropriations subcommittee approved the measure Tuesday.

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development approved the 3.1 percent pay parity measure for federal employees in fiscal year 2006. The approval follows previous approval for the pay increase by the House, which approved its version of the bill on July 1.

The bill must be approved by the full Senate. If that happens, then members from the House and Senate must then work out the differences between the two versions of the bill.

AFGE President John Gage applauded the legislation. “It’s a victory for all federal employees—blue or white collar, Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security," Gage said. "Thanks to the subcommittee mark of the 2006 Transportation-Treasury Appropriations bill, federal employees are a step closer to getting the same pay increase that members of the military will receive in their basic pay.”