Posted on 06/28/2007 8:47:04 AM PDT by angelcindy
WASHINGTON (AP) - Despite low approval ratings and hard feelings from last year's elections, Democrats and Republicans in the House are reaching out for an approximately $4,400 pay raise that would increase their salaries to almost $170,000.
The cost-of-living raise endorsed Wednesday evening gets lawmakers back on track for automatic pay raises after a fight between the parties last year and again in January killed the pay increase due this year. That was the first interruption of the annual congressional pay boost in seven years.
The blowup came after Democrats last year fulfilled a campaign promise to deny themselves more pay until Congress raised the minimum wage. Delays in the minimum wage bill cost every lawmaker about $3,100 this year.
On a 244-181 vote Wednesday, Democrats and Republicans alike killed a bid by Reps. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, and Lee Terry, R-Neb., to get a direct vote to block the COLA, which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it. The Senate has not indicated when it will deal with a similar measure.
As part of an ethics bill in 1989, Congress gave up its ability to accept pay for speeches and made annual cost-of-living pay increases automatic unless the lawmakers voted otherwise.
The annual vote on the pay hike comes on an obscure procedural move - instead of a direct up-or-down vote - and Democratic and GOP leaders each delivered a majority of their members to shut off the move to block the pay hike.
This year's vote was made ticklish by last year's battle. Republicans said Democrats broke a promise not to use the pay raise issue against GOP lawmakers in campaign ads and therefore were, generally speaking, more reluctant to supply votes.
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., worked the floor during the vote to make sure there was relative balance between the warring parties in delivering votes. Working through Blunt, Hoyer forced more than a dozen Republicans to switch their votes in support of accepting the raise, including Reps. Mike Pence and Dan Burton of Indiana and Fred Upton, Dave Camp and Vernon Ehlers of Michigan.
Most members support the pay raise as a means of retaining experienced lawmakers and of making sure that Congress is not simply dominated by wealthy people. Many lawmakers maintain homes both in the expensive Washington housing market and back in their districts. On most days, they meet with lobbyists making far more than they do.
"Every member has some obligation to the institution for the compensation to, as much as possible, keep pace with inflation," Blunt told reporters Wednesday.
"I don't think this is the right time for members of Congress to be allowing the pay raise to go through without even an up-or-down vote," said Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah. "We need to show the American people we are willing to make some sacrifices ... that we recognize there's a struggle for some in today's economy."
The exact figure for this year's cost of living adjustment has not been settled under a complicated formula that awards lawmakers a smaller pay raise than civil servants. But opponents of the congressional COLA estimated a pay increase this year of 2.7 percent, or $4,460.
Senators and representatives presently make $165,200 a year, with a handful of leaders such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., earning more.
The pay raise would also apply to the vice president - who is president of the Senate - congressional leaders and Supreme Court justices.
This year, Vice President Dick Cheney, Pelosi and Chief Justice John Roberts receive $212,100. Associate justices receive $203,000. House and Senate party leaders get $183,500.
President Bush's salary of $400,000 is unaffected by the legislation.
Make that 14%...
and they want a payraise!!!
This should help balance the budget :)
NO!
Pay them two million a year...and make them fund their campaigns 100% out of their own pockets. ;)
`scuse me Boss, but I’d like a fat pay raise!
Any chance of that happening?
Sure tumblindice, you deserve every penny of it!
Thanks, tumblindice! I don’t care what anyone says—you’re all right!
433 x 4,460 + 2 x 4,954 (if the two party leaders get the same 2.7 increase) = $1,941,088. i know my math isnt the best and im sure i forgot to carry the one somewhere.
Oh i agree...they deserve nuffin!!
Heck, if you could force every member of Congress out of their fenced homes of safety and back into the areas common, I’d bet you that ninety percent of the fertilizer that comes out of Congress would dry back up. They’d see, first hand, day in and day out, what their misguided ideals has brought forward.
Their logic is thus: “Our approval rating can’t get much worse...it must be OK to take a pay raise....”
Employers (taxpayers) to House Members: No.
While I’m certainly not happy with the performance of the House of Representatives, let me point out something to everybody on this thread.
A small business owner like myself, making a six figure income from my endeavors, can’t afford the pay cut a run for elective office that would result.
Its a fact, folks. Thats why we keep getting freakin megawealthy trail lawyers as House members, Senators, and yep, even Presidents.
Think about it. Its not a pay raise for this congress if you vote them out in 2008.
If they have families, I have no issue with them wanting a private home of their own. If single or just a spouse, sure, have them in a common area.
I've said the same thing. Those advocating a token salary like 10 grand a year fail to realize that would guarantee that only the rich become Congressmen even moreso than it occurs now.
To be quite honest, 170 grand a year in DC isn't as great as it sounds. You could live the same standard of living on 90 grand in Iowa as 170 grand in DC. Now, that's not poor in any way and is a nice living, but let's not make it into something it's not.
‘To be quite honest, 170 grand a year in DC isn’t as great as it sounds. You could live the same standard of living on 90 grand in Iowa as 170 grand in DC. Now, that’s not poor in any way and is a nice living, but let’s not make it into something it’s not.’
Exactly my point. Thanks, I figured I would get flamed for the post.
Here is your pay raise, see this middle finger?
Originally from Akron, now living in the DC/Baltimore corridor. It’s definitely costing me a lot more to live here. Although, in my line of work I’ll make a lot more money once I get established.
‘Originally from Akron, now living in the DC/Baltimore corridor. It’s definitely costing me a lot more to live here. Although, in my line of work I’ll make a lot more money once I get established.’
Gotcha. I’m in wonderful Brown County, almost due south of Akron 16 miles north of the Ohio River (Ripley on Ohio side, Maysville on the KY side).
$170K here is Big Money, but as we both know, that gets you a studio apartment in DC. Then there is all the expense of maintaining two homes, one in DC and one in your district, compounded by the ‘usual expenses’ like college for kids, etc.
Does anyone know if people in congress get living allowances for housing, etc... similar to the way military people do?
As far as the pay raise goes... they haven’t done anything to earn it.
NO. We’ll throw them all out and hire illegals instead. They work cheap.
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