November 03, 2000

Washington, DC- Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Fred Thompson (R-TN) today announced that the 2000 edition of U.S. Government Policy and Supporting Positions, commonly known as the "Plum Book," will be available Wednesday morning following the General Election, more promptly than in any other year. The publication will be available in print and, for the first time, on the Internet in PDF and text format.

Published only in presidential election years, the Plum Book is the single resource featuring information on more than 8,000 federal leadership and support positions in the legislative and executive branches of the federal government. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is responsible for the compilation and verification of data from individual agencies, and publication alternates between the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Committee on Government Reform.

"This is the primary guide to executive and legislative positions for the next administration, and we’re pleased to be able to release it so soon this year," Senator Thompson said. "With the certainty of a new Administration in 2000, immediate and convenient access to the Plum Book will be particularly beneficial."

The following are the major categories of positions listed in the Plum Book:

• Executive Schedule and salary-equivalent positions paid at the rates established for levels I through V of the Executive Schedule;
  
• Senior Executive Service "General" positions;
  
• Schedule C positions excepted from the competitive service by the President, or by the Director, Office of Personnel Management, because of the confidential or polici-determining nature of the position duties;
  
• Other positions at the GS-14 and above level excepted from the competitive civil service by law because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties.

In addition to print versions available through the Governmental Affairs and Government Reform Committees, and OPM, the Plum Book will be accessible through the special website created by the Governmental Affairs Committee, located at http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/transitions which was designed to help the public access important information on the presidential transition beginning now and continuing through the inauguration.

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