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While not issued in a particularly timely manner, the White House executive order implementing the congressionally-mandated 3.1 percent pay raise in 2006 for federal civilian workers is a welcome step. The legislation containing this increase was signed into law on Nov. 30. Unlike in some past years, when federal employees did not receive their pay increase in a timely fashion, the issuance of the executive order on Dec. 22 should ensure that the paychecks of federal workers will reflect the new General Schedule pay scales on a timely basis. It continues to be true that fair and appropriate pay is one of the most important tools federal agencies have available to them in the competition with private sector employers to recruit and retain the talented workers needed to serve the public in the way Americans want, need and deserve. In growing bipartisan fashion and by consistently authorizing a higher pay raise than that proposed by the administration, Congress continues to show its understanding of that reality.