LETTER TO THE HONORABLE ADMIRAL STANSFIELD TURNER FROM JAMES M. FREY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A002100060008-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 18, 2004
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: December 1, 1977
• Content Type: LETTER

E' 'CUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRES''?ENT
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Honorable Admiral Stansfield Turner
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D. C. 20505
Attention: George L. Cary
Legislative Counsel
Dear Admiral Turner:
This is to acknowledge your letter of November 7, 1977
requesting this Office to review its recommendation
that your agency delay the submission of legislation
to the Congress that would provide pay incentives to
physicians employed by the Central Intelligence Agency.
As my earlier letter noted, the Administration is
considering a number of proposals dealing with the
Government-wide issue of physician pay. However, we
understand your concern over the present salary schedules
of CIA-employed physicians and are reviewing the issues
'discussed in your letter. Upon completion of,our
review, we will be in touch with you again.
Sincerely,
ames M. Frey
Assistant Director 'for
Legislative Reference
NOTE: ER File - Letters to the Congressmen may be submitted
at a latter date - per OLC.
Sophie /ER
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 The Director
Central Intelligence enc
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Lh~shin&ton QC 20505
Honorable Daniel K. Inouye, Chairman
Select Committee on Intelligence
United States Senate .
Washington, D. C. 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
I am writing to express my concern about the serious problem faced
by this Agency in recruiting qualified physicians. This problem results,
in large part, from certain inequities in the salary schedule for physicians
employed by the United States.
The Uniformed Services Medical Officers Revised Pay Structure Act
of 1974 (P. L. 93-274), which has recently been extended until 30 September
1978, and the Veterans Administration Physician and Dentist Pay Compar-
ability Act of 1975 (P. L. 94-123), an extension of which has already passed
the House, provide special and incentive pay to physicians and dentists. in
the uniformed services and the Veterans Administration. These laws cover
a total of approximately 92.5 percent of the physicians employed by the
Federal Government. As a result, the remaining 7. 5 percent of Federal
physicians receive compensation at a significantly lower rate than their
counterparts. Physicians employed by the Central Intelligence Agency are
among this group of civilian physicians adversely affected by the imbalance
in pay scales.
This Agency has doctors, working side by side with Department of
Defense doctors overseas, who do not receive the incentive pay. In addition,
unlike the Department of State, we are not able to compensate physicians
by awarding them a high diplomatic rank. This inequitable situation, coupled
with the availability of higher salaries in the private sector, has placed this
Agency in a poor competitive position with respect to other Federal agencies
with regard to recruitment of physicians. I believe that if this Agency
were able to pay competitive salaries the problem would be solved. Data.
from the Department of Defense indicates that the Uniformed Services
Physicians Pay Act stopped the net outflow of military physicians.
Legislation was introduced in the 94th Congress that would extend the
benefits of P.L. 93-274 and P.L. 94-123 to physicians in other Federal
agencies and departments; in my view this would be a proper method to
extend these benefits to physicians employed by the Central Intelligence
Agency. Similar legislation has been introduced this session in both Houses,
by Representatives Lott (H. R. 1519) and Fisher (H. R. 4620) and by Senator
Mathias (S. 990). Since only a relatively small number of Federal physician
are not covered by existing laws and would therefore be affected by this
legislation, however, swift action on this legislation is far from certain.
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 Approved For Release 2004/03/11 : CIA-RDP80M00165AO02100060008-8
My Office of Legislative Counsel will follow the progress of this legisla-
tion but, if necessary in light of this Agency's pressing need for remedial
legislation, may offer a legislative proposal specifically drawn to insure
that physicians employed by the CIA are placed on a par with those in the
uniformed services and the Veterans Administration.
I feel it is appropriate to raise this legislative matter with the
Committee and urge your support for remedial language as introduced
already or, if necessary, as may be proposed by this Agency. I
welcome the opportunity to discuss the matter at greater length.
The Office of Management and Budget has advised there is no
objection to the submission of this report from the standpoint of the
Administration's program.
Yours sincerely,
STANSFIELD TURNER
Distribution :
-Orig - Addressee
1.- DCI
l = A/'DDCI
I1_ ER
DDA
CUSS
OGC
- OLC Subject
'.OLC OMB Liaison
OLC Girono
OLC:RLB:sm (25 Oct. 77)
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 The Difeaor
Approved For Release 2004/03/'int.ttfAEMPft tl19'0165AS 100060008-8 " A rnn /1
Honorable Edward Boland, Chairman
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
House of Representatives
Washington, D. C. 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
I am writing to express my concern about the serious problem faced
by this Agency in recruiting qualified physicians. This problem results,
in large part, from certain inequities in the salary schedule for physicians
employed by the United States.
The Uniformed Services Medical Officers Revised Pay Structure Act
of 1974 (P. L. 93-274), which has recently been extended until 30 September
.1978, and the Veterans Administration Physician and Dentist Pay Compar-
ability Act of 1975 (P. L. 94-123), an extension of which has already passed
the House, provide special and incentive pay to physicians and dentists in
the uniformed services and the Veterans Administration. These laws cover
a total of approximately 92.5 percent of the physicians employed by the
Federal Government. As a result, the remaining 7.5 percent of Federal
physicians receive compensation at a significantly lower rate than their
counterparts. Physicians employed by the Central Intelligence Agency are
among this group of civilian physicians adversely affected by the imbalance
in pay scales.
This Agency has doctors, working side by side with Department of
Defense doctors overseas, who do not receive the incentive pay. In addition,
unlike the Department of State, we are not able to compensate physicians
by awarding them a high diplomatic rank. This inequitable situation, coupled
with the availability of higher salaries in the private sector, has placed this
Agency in a poor competitive position with respect to other Federal agencies
with regard to recruitment of physicians. I believe that if this Agency
were able to pay competitive salaries the problem would be solved. Data
from the Department of Defense indicates that the Uniformed Services
Physicians Pay Act stopped the net outflow of military physicians.
Legislation was introduced in the 94th Congress that would extend the
benefits of P. L. 93-274 and P. L. 94-123 to physicians in other Federal
agencies and departments; in my view this would be a proper method to
extend these benefits to physicians employed by the Central Intelligence
Agency. Similar legislation has been introduced this session in both Houses,
by Representatives Lott (H. R. 1519) and Fisher (H. R. 4620) and by Senator
Mathias (S. 990). Since only a relatively small number of Federal physicians
are not covered by existing laws and would therefore be affected by this
legislation, however, swift action on this legislation is far from certain.
Approved For Release 2004/03/11 : CIA-RDP80M00165A002100060008-8
 Approved For R1ease 2004/03/11 : CIA-RDP80M0016562100060008-8
My Office of Legislative Counsel will follow the progress of this legisla,-
tion but, if necessary in light of this Agency's pressing need for remedial
legislation, may offer a legislative proposal specifically drawn to insure
that physicians employed by the CIA are placed on a par with those in the
uniformed services and the Veterans Administration,
I feel it is appropriate to raise this legislative matter with the
Committee and urge your support for remedial language as introduced
already or, if necessary, as may be proposed by this Agency. I
welcome the opportunity to discuss the matter at greater length.
The Office of Management and Budget has advised there is no
objection to the submission of this report from the standpoint of the
Administration's program.
Yours sincerely,
STANSFIELD TURNER
Distribution :
Orig - Addressee
1 - DCI
- A/DDCI
DR
1 - DDA
1 - O 'L9
1 - OGC
1 - OLC Subject
1 - OLC OMB Liaison
1 - OLC Chrono
OLC:RLB:sm (25 Oct 77)
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 roved For Rele 2004/03/11: CIA-RDP80M00165A00W0060 01L
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT r r
SEP 9 1977
Honorable Admiral Stansfield Turner
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D. C. 20505
Attention: George L. Cary
Legislative Counsel
This is in response to your request of April 20, 1977,
for advice on proposed letters to Chairman Inouye,
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Chairman
Price, House Armed Services Committee expressing the
Agency's concern about salary schedules for physicians
employed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The
letters expressed interest in submitting to the Congress
a legislative proposal to insure that physicians employed
by CIA are placed on a par with those in the uniformed
services and the Veterans Administration.
The subject of Federal physician recruitment and
retention has been examined extensively in the last
two years. Based on work done in both the executive
and legislative branches, the Administration currently
ha under consideration several proposals designed to
address the Government-wide issue of compensation for
Federally-employed physicians. For this reason, we believe
it would be premature to proceed with separate legislation
dealing with a single agency.
We, therefore, request your reconsideration of the pro-
posed letters to Senator Inouye and Representative Price.
Sincerely,
James M. Frey /
Assistant Director for
Legislative Reference
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