IV 108th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 581 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 29, 2004 Mr. Tom Davis of Virginia (for himself, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Moran of Virginia, Mrs. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. LaTourette, Mrs. Capito, Mr. McHugh, Mrs. Maloney, Mr. Platts, Ms. Norton, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Young of Alaska, Mr. Turner of Ohio, Mr. Cole, Mr. Lewis of Kentucky, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. Quinn, Mr. Gilchrest, and Mr. Ruppersberger) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding rates of compensation for civilian employees and members of the uniformed services of the United States.

Whereas civilian employees and members of the uniformed services of the United States provide critical services and protection for our citizens and taxpayers, and make many other significant contributions to the general welfare of the Nation; Whereas the ability of the Federal Government to provide a competitive salary plays a critical role in its ability to recruit and retain individuals possessing the skills necessary to provide government services effectively and efficiently to the American people; Whereas the current pay system hampers the ability of the Federal Government to achieve the goals referred to in the preceding clause; Whereas the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990, commonly referred to as FEPCA, sought to achieve comparability between Federal and non-Federal pay rates through annual pay adjustments based on changes in private-sector wages and salaries; Whereas increases in the pay of members of the uniformed services and of civilian employees of the United States have not kept pace with increases in the overall pay levels of workers in the private sector, so that there currently exists an estimated 32 percent gap between compensation levels of Federal civilian employees and those of private sector workers, and an estimated 5.7 percent gap between compensation levels of members of the uniformed services and those of private sector workers; and Whereas, in almost every year during the past two decades, there have been equal adjustments in the compensation of members of the uniformed services and the compensation of civilian employees of the United States: Now, therefore, be it

That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that— (1)compensation for civilian employees and members of the uniformed services of the United States must be sufficient to support our critical efforts to recruit, retain, and reward quality people in Government service; and (2) to help achieve this objective, in fiscal year 2005, compensation for civilian employees of the United States should be adjusted at the same time, and in the same proportion, as are rates of compensation for members of the uniformed services.