Congress Extends Pay Freeze, Averts Government Shutdown

Federal employees will face a pay freeze for the third consecutive year as Congress approved a measure on Thursday to avert a government shutdown. The $984 billion legislation will fund the government through fiscal year 2013, but will keep the sequester in place, causing some federal agencies to implement employee furloughs. Some amendments to the bill will ease the pain of the sequester in several agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to avoid furloughing meat inspectors. The bill is now headed to President Obama’s desk. Read more (Government Executive).