Lawmakers back 2.2 percent military pay raise

By a 398-23 vote, the House Friday evening passed the conference report on the fiscal 2007 defense authorization bill, and the Senate gave its approval several hours later by unanimous consent, sending the legislation to President Bush.

The $532.8 billion measure had been caught in a stalemate between House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Senate Armed Services Chairman John Warner, R-Va., over Hastert's efforts to attach two unrelated provisions to the legislation. Hastert backed down Thursday night after receiving assurances from Senate leaders that the provisions would be addressed elsewhere.

Meanwhile, President Bush Friday signed the fiscal 2007 Defense appropriations bill. Senators completed action on that legislation earlier in the day by passing it 100-0.

Both the authorization and appropriations measures would provide a 2.2 percent 2007 pay raise for members of the military, in keeping with President Bush's request for service members and civilian federal employees.

National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley issued a statement calling the 2.2 percent figure "a shameful decision during a time of war."

The original House version of the authorization bill had allowed a 2.7 percent pay hike for the military, kicking off a campaign to bump the civilian raise to that level. The House approved a 2.7 percent raise for civilians as part of the fiscal 2007 Transportation-Treasury appropriations bill, and in July, the Senate appropriations committee matched that figure.

But the Transportation-Treasury bill has yet to be passed by the full Senate or go through the House-Senate negotiations process. With Congress in recess until after the November elections, the civilian figure will remain up in the air until a lame duck session.

Amelia Gruber of GovExec.com contributed to this report.