Conferees approve 4.8 percent pay raise next year

House and Senate negotiators Thursday reached agreement on a bill that includes a 4.8 percent average pay raise for federal employees next year.

The pay hike was included in the fiscal 2000 Treasury-Postal appropriations bill, which passed the House by only one vote earlier this summer. But with Republicans in Congress eager to put appropriations bills to bed before the Sept. 30 deadline, the Treasury-Postal bill emerged from a House-Senate conference committee Thursday afternoon in 30 minutes, with Democratic support, National Journal News Service reported.

The pay raise will be divided between an across-the-board increase and locality increases that will vary in regions across the country. The action ensures that civilian federal employees will get the same percentage increases as those slated for uniformed military members next year.

The bill also retains authorizing language that would increase the President's salary from $200,000 to $400,000 beginning with the person who succeeds President Clinton.

The legislation now goes back to the House and Senate floors, where approval is expected. President Clinton is expected to sign the bill. The President has already approved a 3.8 percent across-the-board raise next year, and the Clinton administration's fiscal 2000 budget anticipates a 4.4 percent average raise for civilian workers next year. Clinton is not expected to oppose the additional increase added by Congress.

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., ranking minority member on the House Treasury-Postal Appropriations subcommittee, lobbied hard for the 4.8 percent increase in the conference. Hoyer praised his colleagues for approving the raise so quickly, and for restoring funds for the IRS, which was reduced by more than $130 million on the House floor.

Hoyer said he still had some problems with the legislation, which includes virtually no new funds for federal court house construction, but he indicated he would urge Democrats to support the overall bill. "This is a responsible package well within the framework of the money available," Hoyer said.

The conference report provides a total of $28.2 billion in funds, including $13.7 billion for discretionary programs, which is about $220 million less than the President's request. The bill's major accounts include $12.354 billion for the Treasury Department, including $8.249 billion for the IRS; $1.7 billion for the Customs Service; $566 million for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; $93.4 million for the U.S. Postal Service; and $645.5 million for various White House offices.