Washington, D.C.—The House Appropriations Committee approved a 3.5% federal civilian pay raise for the 2008 budget. The proposed raise, which is .05% higher than that proposed by President Bush must still receive Congressional approval before being confirmed.

This proposal comes as part of a bill sponsored by representative Jose Serrano (D-NY) and representative Ralph Regula (R-OH) and would provide pay parity between federal civilian pay and military pay, as well as begin to help federal civilian pay raises catch up after last years' pay raise which was the lowest pay raise for federal civilian employees in twenty years.

NTEU President Colleen Kelley stated that "a fair and competetive pay raise for federal civilian workers is one of the key factors in making it possible for federal agencies to not only recruit the high quality employees they so clearly need, but to retain them as well".

The bill is scheduled to move to Congress the week of June 18th, and while it has a fair degree of bi-partisan support because it provides for civilian and military pay parity, it is by no means assured to be approved at this point.