NCUA Public Affairs Specialist John Fairbanks said Friday theagency is reviewing the spending bill passed by Congress this weekto determine how the federal pay freeze, included in H.R. 933, willapply to theagency's employees and budget.

The Senate passed the $984 billion spending bill Wednesday by a73-26 vote and the House passed it Thursday 318-109. It now awaitsPresident Barack Obama's signature. Obama has expresseddisappointment with the pay freeze but has not threatened to vetoit. The bill will fund the federal government through the end ofthe fiscal year, Sept. 30.

The NCUA's 2013 budget includes a 7.5%increase in employee pay and benefits, which reflected thepossibility of a federal employee pay raise. However, the agencysaid when it unveiled the budget in November 2012 that the raisewas subject to Congressional approval.