Obama Issues Executive Order...(Title To Long)

Townhall.com ^ | December 30, 2012 | Mike Shedlock

[Kaslin]

Congress has done such a beautiful job handling the fiscal cliff and debt ceiling that president Obama felt it mandatory to issue an Executive Order Giving Biden, Congress Pay Raises

President Barack Obama issued an executive order to end the pay freeze on federal employees, in effect giving some federal workers a raise. One federal worker now to receive a pay increase is Vice President Joe Biden.

According to disclosure forms, Biden made a cool $225,521 last year. After the pay increase, he'll now make $231,900 per year.

Members of Congress, from the House and Senate, also will receive a little bump, as their annual salary will go from $174,000 to 174,900. Leadership in Congress, including the speaker of the House, will likewise get an increase.

Here's the list of new wages, as attached to President Obama's executive order

"A new executive order has been issued providing for a new pay schedule beginning 'on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning after March 27, 2013,'" reports FedSmith.com. "The pay raise will generally be about 1/2 of 1%."Congress Approval Rating is 18%

The latest Gallup poll taken December 19, 2012, shows Congress Approval Remains at 18% During Fiscal Cliff Debate

Eighteen percent of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, as leaders continue to work toward a solution to the looming fiscal cliff. That approval rating is unchanged from last month, but remains low from a historical perspective.



Republicans' approval of Congress fell slightly to 14% from 16% in November, while Democrats' approval increased slightly to 21% from 19%. The resulting seven-point partisan gap in approval of Congress is the largest measured since June 2011, with the exception of the 16-point gap prior to the election in October of this year.Any Raise is Too Much

I happen to think any raise is too much.

Perhaps Obama thinks 18% approval is a stunningly good achievement following the brilliant Congressional handling of fiscal cliff issues, the smooth handling of healthcare, and the always steady handing of the budget deficit and debt ceiling.

[lentulusgracchus]

Are you kidding? He gave Boehner a raise too

One of the stickier wickets in the Constitution is Congress voting itself raises, or "emoluments".

Obama is saying to all of them, "Hey, don't worry about the stupid Constitution ..... I will give you a raise. I am all the Constitution you'll ever need! Be my friend and be set for life!"

It's a bribe, amigo. He's bribing congressmen to go around the Constitution.

[lentulusgracchus]

There are multiple EOs from previous Presidents regarding this same subject at this link

I don't care. It's pernicious,and it's folly, and if other Presidents -- I should say, actual Presidents -- thought they could raise Congress's pay by Executive Order, then I've got a news flash for you: It's unconstitutional as hell!

Presidents raise Congress's pay? HELL NO!!

[bootless]

Well, if there’s no Constitutional consequence to not passing a budget in any year, much less 3-plus, I don’t think Senators should be paid if they refuse to do their jobs. Or... Harry Reid, being the Obstructor in Chief in the Senate, should be obligated to pay the Senators’ salaries.

What else will get their attention?

[deport]

3 USC § 104 - Salary of the Vice President
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/5303

&

5 USC § 5303 - Annual adjustments to pay schedules
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/5303

Good, bad or indifferent that’s the way it is.....

[Kaslin]

Didn’t you know that liberals lie?
It comes easy to them

[deport]

Correction to previous post.... should be,

3 USC § 104 - Salary of the Vice President
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/104

and

2 USC § 358 - Recommendations of President with respect to pay
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/2/358

[Don Corleone]

Vito Corleone's.

"Plata o Plombo" is the way the Colombian subvertors put it. "Take our silver, or eat our lead."

Its an offer you can't refuse....

DC

[lentulusgracchus]

Unconstitutional is ALWAYS bad .... just because someone codified an unconstitutional arrangement for the convenience of the Members, doesn't make it less so, or less pernicious.

Obama is exploiting that perniciousness now, to remind congressmen that they are eating out of his hand themselves -- how dare they deny succor to his supplicants, or as Barky likes to call it on the campaign trail, "GITTIN' the People some HE'P!!!"

Mark of a dictator. Caesar did it, Hitler did it. "Here - -here is something for you. Eat out of my hand. Be my client. Admit your limitations. Submit."

[deport]

Do you know any of the details? Does this EO give them more or less than they would have gotten under the Continuing Appropriations Legislation passed in Sep 2012? I haven’t dug through all the details on this.

Constitutional is one thing and USC is another. So until it is taken into the judicial system for clarification it’s going to go on much as it has in the past through previous Presidents.