Senate Democrat to focus on federal pay, benefits

A key Senate Democrat is preparing to bring new scrutiny to federal pay and benefit issues. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, will become chair of the Senate Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on International Security, Proliferation and Federal Services when the Democrats assume control of the Senate on June 5. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over certain federal pay and benefit issues. Akaka believes pay issues need attention now because of retirements that are expected to hit the federal workforce in the next five years, according to Nanci Langley, minority deputy staff director for the subcommittee. "[The senator] is aware there is a possibility that half of the federal workforce will be leaving, so he would like to work on ways to enhance views on federal service," said Langley. Akaka is planning to hold hearings on the status of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act (FEPCA), a 1990 measure intended to close the gap between federal and private sector salaries, Langley said. The Clinton administration used a loophole in FEPCA to issue smaller raises each year because it believed that the act's methodology is flawed and because it did not want to increase federal spending.

Last month, Office of Management and Budget Director Mitch Daniels told a House Appropriations Subcommittee that the Bush administration has not yet staked out a position on the issue. Akaka will also focus on the "pay compression" of members of the Senior Executive Service, Langley said. SES members get the same pay hikes as members of Congress, who have voted themselves raises only three times since 1993. "These issues have not had airing in the Senate for a number of years," said Langley. Akaka is considering a hearing on the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. Premiums in the program have increased dramatically in recent years. The senator also plans to investigate whether agencies are repaying the student loans of federal employees, a benefit he sees as central to attracting young people to federal careers. "[Akaka] is very interested in making sure that young people are excited and desirous of working for the federal government," said Langley. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., will be the new chair of the Subcommittee on Government Management, Restructuring and the District of Columbia, according to spokeswoman Melissa Merz. Durbin has proposed creating an independent Food Safety Administration to oversee all federal food safety inspections, which are currently run by as many as 12 different agencies.