Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 115 Part 3.djvu/441

 CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS—MAY 10, 2001 115 STAT. 2515 assistance and the cost of that assistance, and alternative initiatives that would accomplish the same end as concurrent receipt of military retired pay and disability compensation; (3) the Secretary of Defense should submit legislation that he considers appropriate; (4) upon receiving such report, the committees of jurisdiction, working with the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate, should consider appropriate legislation; and (5) the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget should report not later than 30 days after the date of adoption of this resolution to the Committees on the Budget on the risk that provision of full concurrent receipt of military retired pay and disability compensation would reduce the surplus below the level of the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund. SEC. 315. FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PAY. (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: (1) Members of the uniformed services and civilian employ- ees of the United States make significant contributions to the general welfare of the Nation. (2) Increases in the pay of members of the uniformed services and of civilian employees of the United States have not kept pace with increases in the overall pay levels of workers in the private sector, so that there now exists— (A) a 32 percent gap between compensation levels of Federal civilian employees and compensation levels of private sector workers; and (B) an estimated 10 percent gap between compensation levels of members of the uniformed services and compensation levels of private sector workers. (3) The President's budget proposal for fiscal year 2002 includes a 4.6 percent pay raise for military personnel. (4) The Office of Management and Budget has requested that Federal agencies plan their fiscal year 2002 budgets with a 3.6 percent pay raise for civilian Federal employees. (5) In almost every year during the past 2 decades, there have been equal adjustments in the compensation of members of the uniformed services and the compensation of civilian employees of the United States. (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS. —I t is the sense of Congress that rates of compensation for civilian employees of the United States should be adjusted at the same time, and in the same proportion, as are rates of compensation for members of the uniformed services. SEC. 316. SALES TAX DEDUCTION. (a) FINDINGS. —Congress finds that— (1) in 1986 the ability to deduct State sales taxes was eliminated from the Federal tax code; (2) the States of Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming, Washington, Florida, Nevada, and South Dakota have no State income tax; (3) the citizens of those seven States continue to be treated unfairly by paying significantly more in taxes to the Government than taxpayers with an identical profile in different States because they are prohibited from deducting their State sales taxes from their Federal income taxes in lieu of a State income tax;

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