Congresman Moran's News Commentary

This week, the annual call for pay parity began with a joint letter that was sent by area members of Congress to President Bush. The letter signed by myself, Representatives Hoyer, Wolf, Davis, Holmes Norton, Wynn, Cummings, Cardin, Van Hollen and Ruppersberger requests that the administration support pay parity for all military and federal employees in the President’s Fiscal Year 2006 Budget, set to be released the first Monday in February.

Historically, Congress has expressed strong bipartisan support for parity in pay adjustments between our military and federal civilian sectors. Last year, the House overwhelmingly passed a resolution supporting the concept of pay parity, which I helped introduce, (H. Res. 581) by a vote of 299-126.

Federal employees play a major role in the war on terrorism and domestic security. It is the case that many of our federal civilian employees work side by side with military personnel at the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security in the effort to keep our country safe and secure.

It is also the case that for the federal government to continue attracting the best and brightest talent, they must be able to provide salaries that are competitive with the private sector. With salaries substantially below those provided by large private sector firms, the federal government is experiencing great difficulty in the recruitment and retention of civilian employees. Bringing pay for federal employees closer in line to those in the private sector is one way to slow this trend.

According to the Federal Salary Council, the most recent data shows that the overall average pay gap between GS salaries and non-federal salaries was 31.82 percent. If locality payments are included, the average gap falls but is still 17.57 percent. Statistics analyzed by the Military Officers Association of America show that the pay gap between the private sector and military members basic pay was 5.4 percent for 2004.

This year’s pay parity battle will be no easier than in previous sessions. Signs out of the White House are ominous that once again, the President will choose not to give federal employees their full raise. As the President and his advisors work to put the final touches on the budget, I am urging that they not overlook the vital services provided by federal employees and provide a level of compensation on par with that of the military. With just over one-half of the federal civilian workforce eligible for retirement by 2005, efforts to retool the ranks of our federal employees must continue in earnest.