Nine House legislators have sent a letter to President Bush urging that the Administration “embrace the principal of pay parity” between military members and federal civilian workers in the 2008 budget request. Led by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), lawmakers from Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia—all with heavy loads of federal employees—signed the Jan. 22 letter, citing “the tradition of pay parity.” They also note the effect that the potential for wholesale retirement of “many of our most experienced employees” might have on recruitment and retention.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
