Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 101 Part 3.djvu/669

 RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PRESIDENT—JAN. 5, 1987

101 STAT. 1967

Recommendations for Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Salaries^ •

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Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) As required by Section 225 of the Federal Salary Act of 1967, Public Law 90-206, (2 U.S.C. 351 et seq.), the latest Quadrennial Commission on Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Salaries ("Quad Commission") has submitted to me recommendations on salaries for Senators, Representatives, Federal judges. Cabinet officers, and other agency heads, and certain other officials in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The statute requires that, in the budget next submitted after receipt of the report of the Commission, I set forth recommendations for adjustment of these salaries. Pursuant to section 225(i), as amended by section 135 of Public Law 99-190, these recommendations will be effective unless Congress disapproves the recommendations by a joint resolution within 30 days following the transmittal of my budget. As referred to in my Budget Message, I am recommending increases in executive level pay for offices and positions within the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government. The Quad Commission's report, submitted to me on December 15th, 1986, documented both the substantial erosion in the real level of Federal executive pay which has occurred since 1969 and the recruitment and retention problems that have resulted, especially for the Federal judiciary. The Commission found that Federal executives and legislators have experienced a decline of over 40 percent in real income since 1969. The Quad Commission is to be commended for its diligent and conscientious effort to address the complicated and complex problems associated with Federal pay levels. Every one of the Quad Commissions that has met over the past 18 years concluded that a pay increase for key Federal officials was necessary. Each Commission found that pay for senior government officials fell far behind that of their counterparts in the private sector. They also surmised that we cannot afford a Government composed primarily of those wealthy enough to serve. Unfortunately, the last major Quad Commission pay adjustment was in 1977—a decade ago. In considering the Quad Commission's recommendations, I recognize that we are under a mandate to reduce the Federal deficit and hold the costs of government to an absolute minimum. In this environment, I do not believe that we can overcome the erosion of real income since 1969 of these senior government officials in one step and thus do not believe it would be appro'Editorial note: This is the text of identical letters addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.and the President of the Senate, which were transmitted on January 5, 1987, The recommendations were effective at the beginning of the first day of the first pay period which began for such office or position after the end of the 30-day period for Congressional consideration (2 U.S.C. 359). The text was published in accordance with 2 U,S.C. 361,

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