A resolution commending Dan L. Crippen for his service to Congress and the Nation.

Mr. President, I am called to join with Senators Akaka, Bingaman, Cantwell, Clinton, Durbin, Kennedy, Levin, Lieberman, Mikulski, Murray, Nelson, E. Benjamin, and Warner in introducing a resolution that would express the sense of the Congress that parity in the pay increases granted to Federal civilian and military employees should be maintained. A comparison of military and civilian pay increases by the Congressional Research Service finds that in 14 of the last 17 years military and civilian pay increases have been identical. Disparate treatment of civilian and military pay goes against the longstanding policy of parity for all those who have chosen to serve our Nation, whether that service be in the civilian workforce or in the armed services.

During this unpredented time in our Nation's history, both members of the armed services and civilian Federal employees are fighting the war on terrorism and making remarkable contributions to the safety of this country and our citizens. Both the armed forces and civilian employees are on the front lines in the fight against terrorism, and civilian employees are playing a significant role in that fight.

For example, civilian employees of the new Department of Homeland Security are working to ensure the safety of our Nation. Air marshals and members of the Transportation Security Agency are making America's skies safer. Civilian employees of the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the events of September 11th and working to prevent further terrorist attacks. And Federal employees at the State Department are working with other countries in an international coalition against terrorism.

In addition, there are numerous Federal employees who participated in disaster response teams on September 11th and during the anthrax attacks. And every day, thousands of civilian Federal employees continue to go to work and carry out their responsibilities in this unpredictable time.

This Senate Concurrent Resolution expresses the sense of the Congress that parity between the adjustments in Federal civilian pay and military pay should be maintained. For Fiscal Year 2003, President Bush gave a 4.1 percent pay raise to members of the armed services, but only a 3.1 percent pay raise to our dedicated public servants. This discrepancy violates the traditional principle of pay parity, and does not recognize the crucial work of the civilian Federal workforce. Furthermore, this discrepancy ignores the express wish of Congress that the principle of pay parity be followed. Past budget resolutions and Treasury-Postal appropriations bills approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives have included language expressing 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 member of the uniformed services.''

In this difficult time, the dedication and commitment of both the armed services and our civilian employees demonstrate the greatness of our Nation. The contribution of both should be recognized.

Mr. President, today, I would like to recognize the exemplary and faithful service that Dan L. Crippen has provided to his country and to the U.S. Congress. January 3, 2003, was Dr. Crippen's last day as the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

In the four years that he has held that position, he has led CBO with dedication and integrity. As a respected and thoughtful steward of the agency, he has provided the Members of Congress with impartial analyses of a wide array of budgetary and economic issues and thereby provided a sound basis for Congressional decisions, and he has aided the American public's understanding of these issues through his clear and forthright statements.

Some of his particular accomplishments as Director include fostering the development of long-term modeling and a long-range perspective in the agency's analyses, bolstering research support, building a stronger and more diverse workforce, securing access to previously unavailable data, and modernizing many support processes and much of the work space.

Dan Crippen received a bachelor of arts degree from South Dakota in 1974, a master of arts from Ohio State in 1976, and a doctor of philosophy degree in public finance from Ohio State in 1981. He then set out on a remarkable career that has included positions of great responsibility in both the public and private sectors. From 1981 to 1985, he served in the United States Senate as Chief Counsel and Economic Policy Adviser to the Senate majority leader, working on major tax and budget bills as well as other legislation. From 1985 to 1987, he was Executive Director of Merrill Lynch International Advisory Council.

He then returned to public service, this time at the White House, as Deputy Assistant to the President from 1987 to 1988 and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs from 1988 to 1989, in which capacity he served as the President's adviser on domestic policy issues, including the preparation and presentation of the federal budget.

In 1989, he became Senior Vice President of the consulting firm Duberstein Group, and in 1996, he became Principal in the consulting firm Washington Counsel.

From there, he was tapped again for Congressional service and became the fifth director of the Congressional Budget Office, where he advanced its already strong reputation for objective and insightful analysis. For that reason and many others, he has earned the respect, admiration, and affection of his colleagues at CBO and, once again, the gratitude of the U.S. Congress.

So on the occasion of Dan Crippen's departure from CBO, I want to salute his accomplishments and contributions thus far in his career and to say that I look forward to his continued success as he takes on new responsibilities in the next phase of his career.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 15.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements related to this matter be printed in the Record.

I yield the floor.

I object.

I withdraw my objection.