Hoyer Praises Full Committee Passage of Federal Employee Pay Parity
"I applaud the Appropriations Committee for supporting pay parity for our federal workforce by approving a pay adjustment for civilian employees that matches what Congress has already granted for the military," stated Rep. Hoyer. "From the flooded plains of the Midwest to the Pentagon in our Nation's Capital, civilian federal employees work alongside our military to serve our country's interests both at home and abroad. Pay parity ensures that our valued federal employees are duly compensated for the vital services they provide and that the federal government can recruit and retain a high quality workforce for years to come."
The push for federal employee pay parity for FY09 began when the Washington area Congressional delegation - led by Rep. Hoyer - sent a letter to President Bush urging an equal adjustment for both civilian and military federal employees. Despite the bipartisan support for the principle of pay parity, the President's budget proposed a 2.9 percent increase for civilian workers - 0.5 percent lower than the 3.4 percent proposal for military personnel. Working with House leaders, Rep. Hoyer and the regional delegation have led the effort to advocate for a fair pay adjustment for all government employees.
"As a representative of 55,000 federal employees, I see the critical contributions our government workers make each day. Both our military and the civilian employees who serve our nation in so many ways deserve a fair adjustment reflecting the value of their vital contributions," stated Rep. Hoyer. "The next step for this year's civilian federal workforce adjustment will be consideration by the full House. I intend to work with my colleagues in the Washington area delegation to continue promoting federal employee pay parity until it becomes law."