Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 5319 - Pay Increases for Members of the Secret Service Uniformed Division and the U.S. Park Police

(Senate)
(Ackerman (D) NY and five others)

The Administration is opposed to enactment of H.R. 5319, which would establish an automatic pay adjustment process for members of the U.S. Park Police and the Secret Service Uniformed Division, insulating their pay from Congressional and administrative determinations of the pay raises that apply to other Federal employees. These two police groups have already received pay raises of more than 14 percent in the last year. If H.R. 5319 should reach the President's desk, his senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill.

Under current law, U.S. Park Police and the Secret Service Uniformed Division are assured the same pay raises that apply to other Federal employees. Moreover, they may receive even larger raises if necessary to recruit and retain employees; indeed, these two groups did receive greater pay increases this year than other employees under the current statutory authority. Legislation such as H.R. 5319 is both inequitable and unnecessary.