The SEC’s original budget proposal for FY 2009 included only a 1.5% increase for its merit pay budget. However, NTEU’s lobbying efforts this summer to increase that merit pay budget have been paying dividends.

The Senate Appropriations Committee recently approved FY 2009 funding of $938 million for the SEC – $25 million more than the White House proposal. Similarly, in June, the House Appropriations Committee also voted to provide $15 million in additional SEC funding for the coming fiscal year, “at least half” of which was to be used to increase the merit pay budget at the SEC. The Senate committee’s proposed increase of $25 million would be $10 million more than the House committee’s, and the final amount of any increase will have to be worked out in conference.

The final resolution of this issue may not occur for some time. This fall, Congress may delay final budget work by passing a continuing resolution to fund all federal agencies until the end of the year. Whatever the circumstances, NTEU will continue to work hard to obtain the largest merit pay raise possible.