Pay Raise Not Budging

Feds hoping for a pay raise miracle might be out of luck. A Stars and Stripes blog post Thursday notes the Senate appropriations committee appears stuck on giving civilians a 1.4 percent boost, as President Obama proposed in his fiscal 2011 budget. Troops won't be any better off if the Senate has its way. But while Stars and Stripes characterizes the raise as a "mere" 1.4 percent, it's worth noting things could be a lot worse. Just this week, House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, reminded an audience at the City Club of Cleveland that Republicans would like to freeze federal pay. The GOP hasn't had much luck yet, but there's still time before Congress leaves for the midterm elections, and given the economic climate, lawmakers might be especially eager to score some points back home by appearing tough on spending.