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NTEU applauds the growing congressional recognition of the importance of pay parity between civilian and military federal employees as evidenced by the introduction of a sense-of-the-Congress amendment by Rep. Thomas A. Allen (D-ME) in the House Budget Committee markup session on the fiscal 2006 budget resolution. Rep. Allen, whose support for federal employees is longstanding, offered a clear rationale for continuing the tradition of pay parity when he said it recognizes the simple fact that military and federal civilian employees more often than not work side by side in support of our nation’s security. NTEU agrees, as well, with Rep. Allen that the administration’s proposal for a lesser raise in 2006 for federal civilian employees sends the wrong message to both current and prospective federal workers.

Even though the amendment was withdrawn, its introduction points to increasing support for pay parity that is bipartisan, bicameral and growing. Chairs of both the Senate Government Affairs and House Government Reform Committees have co-sponsored resolutions calling for pay parity. Moreover, 15 members of the Senate have recently written to the Senate Budget Committee affirming their strong support for pay parity, and eight members of the House Budget Committee have done the same. With every member of Congress that steps up to the plate to show support, we get closer to our goal of congressional adoption of pay parity for 2006, as it has in 17 of the last 19 years.