[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 26 (Friday, February 12, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S1650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 10--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT 
   THERE SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE PARITY BETWEEN THE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE 
 COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES AND ADJUSTMENTS IN 
      THE COMPENSATION OF CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Cleland) 
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Armed Services:

                            S. Con. Res. 10

       Whereas members of the uniformed services of the United 
     States and civilian employees of the United States make 
     significant contributions to the general welfare of the 
     United States; and
       Whereas, increases in the levels of pay of members of the 
     uniformed services and of civilian employees of the United 
     States have not kept pace with increases in the overall 
     levels of pay of workers in the private sector so that there 
     is now up to a 30 percent gap between the compensation levels 
     of Federal civilian employees and the compensation levels of 
     private sector workers and a 9 to 14 percent gap between the 
     compensation levels of members of the uniformed services and 
     the compensation levels of private sector workers; and
       Whereas, in almost every year of 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
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that there 
     should continue to be parity between the adjustments in the 
     compensation of members of the uniformed services and the 
     adjustments in the compensation of civilian employees of the 
     United States.

 Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I am pleased to join with 
Senators Mikulski and Warner in submitting a resolution which would 
express the sense of the Congress that parity between Federal civilian 
pay and military pay should be maintained. Disparate treatment of 
civilian and military pay goes against longstanding Congressional 
policy that for more than a decade has ensured parity for all those who 
have chosen to serve our Nation, whether that service be in the 
civilian workforce or in the armed services. I urge my colleagues to 
join me in support of this important resolution.

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