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Democrats announced Monday they plan to enact a continuing resolution for the duration of the fiscal year instead of passing new spending bills, meaning federal employees will receive the 2.2 percent pay raise that President Bush submitted Nov. 30.

Versions of the Transportation-Treasury appropriations bill included a 2.7 percent raise for civilian employees instead. There was no promise that figure would have made it to the president's desk, since Congress approved a 2.2 percent raise for the military, which traditionally receives the same or higher than civilians.

But the possibility of a higher raise is now significantly lessened.

Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said the union will still push lawmakers for the 2.7 percent raise when the new Congress convenes in January.

Democrats said they plan to enact a continuing resolution for the duration of fiscal 2007, after Republicans gave up on passing individually the nine appropriations bills covering the domestic portion of the federal budget.

In its final hours Friday, Congress passed a stopgap measure running through Feb. 15, and the incoming chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations committees said they would simply extend the measure out rather than attempting to pass the leftover fiscal 2007 spending bills.

President Bush is expected to submit his fiscal 2008 budget and a new supplemental spending request for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in early February.

"It is important that we clear the decks quickly so that we can get to work on the American people's priorities, the president's anticipated war funding request, and a new budget," incoming House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., and Senate Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., said in a joint statement. "After discussions with our colleagues, we have decided to dispose of the Republican budget leftovers by passing a year-long joint resolution ... we must turn the page on the Republican failures and work together in the best interests of the American people."

Obey and Byrd said they would make "limited adjustments" in that GOP-written CR to address important policy priorities, but that the extended version would have none of the earmarks contained in the remaining fiscal 2007 spending bills. The Democrats said they were placing a "moratorium" on all earmarks until reforms are put in place.

"We will work to restore an accountable, above-board, transparent process for funding decisions and put an end to the abuses that have harmed the credibility of Congress," they said. Only two fiscal 2007 spending bills have been signed into law, the Defense and Homeland Security measures.

That leaves about $463 billion in unfinished agency budgets that will be funded under a yearlong CR. Obey and Byrd noted the last time all the spending bills were completed separately and on time was 1994 -- the last year of Democratic control of Congress.

COMMENTS

• Grow up, eh? Well, apparently we began working for a living about the same time in the early 1970s and obviously we've taken different paths. My federal career has been infinitely rewarding on many levels and I wouldn't trade my experiences and friendships for all the "paltry pay raises" in the budget. I've worked with some of the best and smartest people on the planet, and I've also worked alongside people who were determined to be miserable and looked for any reason to be so. I usually felt sorry for them and encouraged them to look elsewhere for employment so I could concentrate on doing more with less. I've never expected our annual pay raise to make me whole financially -- if I felt I needed more money, I worked harder and applied for higher graded positions, which I didn't always get, but it didn't make me bitter like some of you. So when I retire, I'll have fond memories of my government service -- wish all could say the same. Merry Christmas from a Satisfied Civil Servant GovExec.com reader Posted December 20, 2006 10:58 AM
• It's not just this year that they have used the "State of Emergency" excuse. It's every year. To the satisfied civil servant (if really there is one but more than likely a management employee or a Bush flunkee), I say grow up. If you've been with the government for 33 years you should know by now that there will always be people who are dissatisfied with their jobs and if they have a lot of years invested they aren't going to throw up their hands and leave. I've been on both sides and have been working for over 35 years and as far as civil service goes with the VA, it only gets worse. We are required to work with less of a budget every year and do without when we really need equipment, office materials and accomplish repairs. Management keeps talking reduced management but we only see increased management and grades at the upper level. We also see less qualified persons hired. Again I say one way to ensure the hiring of more qualified people is to use independent personnel agencies which with strict rules and laws would eliminate the intervention of inside selection. As to working with less, people considering starting careers with the government should realize that the opportunities to advance, to get raises and get necessary items to work with will be slim to none. Would you want to take a job with a company who was in financial trouble? GovExec.com reader Posted December 19, 2006 7:42 AM
• To Satisfied Civil Servant, The military always does get more. Didn't you notice sometime in the past 30 years that you don't get a housing allowance, free dental and medical, PX shopping privileges? Comparing civil to military recompense solely on the basis of salary without taking into account the other factors just isn't a full and fair accounting. GovExec.com reader Posted December 18, 2006 4:45 PM