Raise or no raise? That's going to be a pressing question for the lame duck session of Congress as it considers final 2011 spending levels. The Senate Appropriations Committee last summer approved a 1.4 percent pay raise for federal workers, matching the president's request.

GovExec reports, House committees have not come up with a figure for civilian employees. But now the president's fiscal commission has recommended freezing federal pay for three years while cutting the work force by 10 percent. On the military side, Senate appropriators want 1.9 percent raises for service members, while House appropriators want 1.4 percent.

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