In a statement issued by the Office of Management and Budget, the White House has indicated strong objection to the notion of federal workers going without a pay increase in 2013.
OMB issued the statement in opposition to H.R. 6020, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act of 2013. The statement was basically a veto threat against the act, one which would make appropriations for financial services and general government for FY 2013.
The legislation as proposed is silent on the notion of a pay raise for federal employees, thus raising the possibility of no pay increase.
The White House proposed a 0.5% pay increase for federal workers earlier this year to break the current pay freeze which the President first proposed in late 2010.
In its statement, OMB said, “The Administration objects to the exclusion of a provision providing for a Government-wide civilian pay adjustment for calendar year 2013. As the President stated in his FY 2013 Budget request, a permanent pay freeze is neither sustainable nor desirable. The Administration encourages the Congress to support the proposed 0.5 percent pay raise for civilian employees, while continuing the pay freeze for senior political officials. The Administration also urges the inclusion of a provision relating to pay adjustments for prevailing rate employees.”
It’s too early to tell how the pay raise debate for 2013 will turn out, but the White House has made it clear it wants the current pay freeze to end next year.