[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 15 (Monday, February 9, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S723-S724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 88--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT 
 THERE SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE PARITY BETWEEN THE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE PAY 
OF MEMBERS OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES AND THE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE PAY OF 
                CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES OF THE UNITED STATES

   Mr. SARBANES (for himself, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Warner, Mr. Akaka, Mr. 
Allen, Ms. Collins, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Dayton, Mr. Levin, Mr. 
Johnson, and Mrs. Murray) submitted the following concurrent 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Governmental 
Affairs:

                             S. Con. Res. 88

       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 are on the front lines in the fight 
     against terrorism and in maintaining the Nation's defenses;
       Whereas civilian employees of the United States play a 
     crucial role in the fight against terrorism, as exemplified 
     by--
       (1) the civilian employees of the Department of Homeland 
     Security and the Department of Defense who are working to 
     ensure the security of the United States;
       (2) the civilian employees of the Central Intelligence 
     Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation who are 
     investigating the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and 
     working to prevent further terrorist attacks;
       (3) the numerous skilled trade and craft civilian employees 
     of the Federal Government who work side-by-side with the men 
     and women of the armed forces to maintain and deploy our air 
     and sea fleet safely and swiftly; and
       (4) the employees of the Centers For Disease Control within 
     the Department of Health and Human Services who work every 
     day protecting Americans from bioterrorism and those at the 
     Department of Agriculture who strive to keep the Nation's 
     food supply safe;
       Whereas civilian employees of the United States will 
     continue to support and defend the United States during this 
     difficult time;
       Whereas in fiscal year 2004 Congress again reaffirmed its 
     long-standing commitment to parity in pay adjustments for 
     members of the uniformed services and all civilian employees 
     in both the annual budget resolution and the Transportation, 
     Treasury and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004; 
     and
       Whereas for fiscal year 2005, the Administration proposed a 
     3.5 percent pay raise for members of the uniformed services 
     but only a 1.5 percent pay raise for the dedicated civilian 
     employees of the United States, a disparity in adjustments 
     that violates the traditional principle of parity of pay 
     adjustments: Now, therefore, be it

[[Page S724]]

       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that rates of 
     pay for all civilian employees of the United States should be 
     adjusted at the same time, and in the same proportion, as are 
     rates of pay for the uniformed services.

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I am pleased to join with Senators 
Mikulski, Warner, Akaka, Allen, Collins, Kennedy, Durbin, Dayton, 
Levin, Johnson, and Murray in submitting a resolution expressing 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 the 
longstanding policy of parity for all those who have chosen to serve 
our Nation--whether that service is in the civilian workforce or in the 
armed services. In fact, a comparison of military and civilian pay 
increases by the Congressional Research Service finds that in 16 of the 
last 18 years military and civilian pay increases have been identical.
  Indeed, the Fiscal Year 2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act 
Conference Report passed by Congress included a pay parity provision 
that would provide a 4.1 percent average pay adjustment to military and 
all civilian employees.
  Federal civilian and military employees work side-by-side doing the 
important work of the Nation, including protecting U.S. citizens from 
terrorism. As a prime example, during last week's response to the 
discovery of ricin in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, civilian 
employees from agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Coast Guard, the U.S. 
Capitol Police, the FBI, and the Marine Corps Chemical Biological 
Incident Response Force from Indian Head, Maryland responded jointly to 
the crisis and collaborated in the cleanup of the affected Senate 
Office Buildings. Now more than ever, an efficient and effective 
Federal Government requires this kind of civilian/military 
collaboration. We should not undermine the morale of our dedicated 
public civil servants by failing to bring their pay in line with that 
of the military personnel they work along side of every day.
  Moreover, both the uniformed services and the Federal civilian 
workforce need to address critical retention and recruitment problems. 
Our Federal Government is facing a ``human capital'' crisis as a result 
of attrition that threatens institutional experience and knowledge at 
every level. By the end of 2005, one out of every three current Federal 
workers will be eligible for optional retirement and by 2007 an 
estimated 53 percent of the Federal workforce will be eligible to 
retire. These vacancies will occur in an era in which those entering 
the workforce are far less likely to join public service. As evidence 
of this, a 2002 survey commissioned by the Partnership for Public 
Service reveals that only one in four college-educated workers 
expressed significant interest in working for the Federal Government.
  Inequitable pay only serves to perpetuate this lack of interest. 
Congress has continually asked Federal employees to make significant 
sacrifices for the sake of our Nation's fiscal health, including more 
than $200 billion in deficit reduction contributed by Federal employees 
and retirees in lost and delayed compensation. In addition, FEPCA--
legislation passed in 1990 to bring the pay of Federal employees in 
line with that offered in the private sector--has never been fully 
implemented. Nonetheless, Federal employees have continued to provide 
high quality service to the American public, usually with fewer 
resources and personnel.
  One way to ensure the Federal Government is able to attract and 
retain qualified public servants is to ensure parity between civil 
service employees and members of the uniformed services. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in support of this important resolution.

                          ____________________