Support Denying Automatic Pay Raises for Members of Congress

[Coleus]

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R.-Fla.) introduced the Deficit Accountability Act of 2005 (H.R. 223) “To provide that NO AUTOMATIC automatic pay adjustment for Members of Congress shall be made in the year following a fiscal year in which there is a Federal budget deficit.”

Write to your representative to cosponsor and vote for H.R. 223.

Deficit Accountability Act of 2005 (Introduced in House)

HR 223 IH

109th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 223 To provide that no automatic pay adjustment for Members of Congress shall be made in the year following a fiscal year in which there is a Federal budget deficit.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 4, 2005 Mr. STEARNS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

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A BILL To provide that no automatic pay adjustment for Members of Congress shall be made in the year following a fiscal year in which there is a Federal budget deficit.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Deficit Accountability Act of 2005'.

SEC. 2. EFFECT OF A BUDGET DEFICIT.

Section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking `Subject to subparagraph (B),' and inserting `Subject to subparagraph (B) and paragraph (3),'; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

`(3) An adjustment under paragraph (2) otherwise scheduled to take effect in a calendar year shall not be made if, as determined by the Office of Management and Budget, there was a deficit (as defined by section 3 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974) in the preceding fiscal year.'.

[VisualizeSmallerGovernment]

Heck. Give them a profit sharing plan.

$1 million cash for every $1 billion in the Fiscal Year surplus, divided evenly among the 535 members.

They'd have that deficit thing solved in a week.

[Don W]

I love the idea, but how about GENUINE accountability?

I'd like to see a proposal that posits: For every percentage point the budget is in deficit at the end of the fiscal year, everyone in the legislative, executive and judicial branch, and ALL federal employees (excepting the armed forces and border guards) is subject to a 5% wage cut, and heads of over-budget departments FIRED.

I'd wager that waste and profligate spending would be reduced significantly, in very short order.

[maine-iac7]

Their self-given raises in one year ammounts to more than I have to live on in a year...

Wouldn't you love a job that allowed you to just tell your boss, Hey, I need an extra 500 a month in my paycheck - do it?

Their rasies should not be decided on by themselves - nor anyone who could become complicit...

[Wolverine]

Stop automatic pay raises for Congress UNTIL THEY PASS:

 

                        PERMANENT TAX REFORM

 

                        TORT REFORM

 

                        SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

Well, the Democrats say that Social Security will be able to pay 70% of its obligations in 2054, and that's just hunky-dory.

Surely, they'd be willing to serve for 70% of their current pay.

We could donate the savings to their precious tsunami relief.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

$1 million cash for every $1 billion in the Fiscal Year surplus, divided evenly among the 535 members. They'd have that deficit thing solved in a week.

No they'd just cook the books, not that they ain't now. See Fannie Mae.

[goldstategop]

Amen! If our Congresscritters want a pay raise, let them cast a vote for one. They should not be able to escape the political heat for voting themselves a fatter paycheck when taxpayers themselves don't have such a privilege.

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

[goldstategop]

Exactly. We'd all love to have a job where we could get built in COLAs and the boss could do nothing about it.

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

[woofer]

No they'd just cook the books, not that they ain't now.

You got that right!

The first thing they'd do is list all tangible assets at current value, including the real estate and potential mineral value to paper over the cash deficit.

[ops33]

I always thought that automatic payraises violated the meaning of the 27th Amendment to the US Constitution.

[Coleus]

No they'd just cook the books, not that they ain't now. See Fannie Mae. >>

and don't forget the Congressioanl Bank Scandal and the John McCain, Keating-5 Scandal.

[Deadeye Division]

bttt

[TXBSAFH]

I have long said that if their pay increase would end and their pay were to be cut if there be a deficit, the budget would be balanced in a fortnight.

[Coleus]

the budget would be balanced in a fortnight.>>

You can say that again. I remember there was a time that being a member of congress was a part-time job and that it was actually a sacrifice financially to be such a member.

My, how times have changed.