Bush issues order implementing 2003 pay raise

President Bush issued an executive order Tuesday evening formally implementing a 3.1 percent pay increase in 2003 for General Schedule employees and members of the Senior Executive Service.

On Nov. 30, Bush said he would give civil service employees the 3.1 percent across-the-board increase, but no locality pay raise. According to the president, a larger pay increase would jeopardize homeland security efforts.

Bush's order may not be the last word on 2003 pay rates, however.

Several Washington-area lawmakers, including Reps. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.; Tom Davis, R-Va.; Albert Wynn, D-Md.; Frank Wolf, R-Va.; and Jim Moran, D-Va., along with Sens. John Warner, R-Va.; George Allen, R-Va.; Barbara Mikulski, D-Md.; and Paul Sarbanes, D-Md., have pushed for a 4.1 percent average pay increase in the 2003 Treasury-Postal Appropriations bill. Congress failed to pass that bill before adjourning in the fall.

Lawmakers are likely to try to include the 4.1 percent raise in an omnibus bill if Congress chooses to take up such a bill in January instead of passing individual fiscal 2003 spending measures.

Under Bush's order, members of the Senior Executive Service will get a 3.1 percent across-the-board pay increase next year and their locality pay will remain unchanged from 2002 levels. SES salaries are linked to congressional and Cabinet-level salaries and were capped at $138,200 in 2002. The cap will increase to approximately $142,500 in 2003.