House Opens the Way for Fourth Straight Raise in Pay

Associated Press ^ | Jul 18, 2002 | Jim Abrams

[tomball]

WASHINGTON (AP) - House lawmakers cleared the way Thursday to give themselves a pay raise for the fourth straight year, increasing their salaries about $5,000.

If that raise goes into effect, rank-and-file members of Congress would receive $155,000, an increase of more than $20,000 over the past decade.

Under a 1989 law, congressional pay raises, determined by a complicated formula that includes a measure of private industry employment costs, go into effect automatically unless lawmakers vote to block it.

Showdowns over pay raises traditionally take place during debate on the annual spending bill for the Treasury Department and related agencies, but a 258-156 procedural vote at the opening of that debate effectively prevented lawmakers from offering an amendment to kill the raise.

The only lawmaker to speak against the raise was Rep. James Matheson, D-Utah. "We can't afford it, last year's government surpluses are long gone, we are swimming in red ink, we are fighting a war. We shouldn't be asking the taxpayers to pay us more," he said.

The congressional raise is estimated to be about 3.3 percent. The Treasury bill for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1 includes a 4.1 percent cost-of-living increase for civilian federal employees, equal to a raise approved for military personnel.

The 3.3 percent pay raise, which would go into effect in January, would also apply to more than 1,000 top executive branch officials, including the vice president, and members of the congressional leadership. The vice president, like the Speaker of the House, now gets $192,600 while House and Senate majority and minority leaders receive $166,700.

The president's salary of $400,000 a year is unaffected by the congressional increase.

America's first members of Congress received pay of $6 a day. In 1855, compensation was set at $3,000 a year. It hit $10,000 in 1935, $60,000 in 1979, and went above $100,000 in 1991. The pay level stalled at $133,600 during the mid-1990s with lawmakers wary of giving themselves a raise when the federal budget was in deficit, but has risen steadily since then.

[zoyd]

"Yes, we may MAKE a lot of money as lawmakers, but we SPEND a lot of money as lawmakers, so it all works out!"

[AdamSelene235]

rank-and-file members of Congress

The author doesn't seem to know much about the English language.

They aren't rank and file, they are government supremacists.

[mewzilla]

You're half right. They're definitely rank.

[LostTribe]

Forget the corporate leaders, here is the TRUE criminal class.

[Moonman62]

All that spending is hard work.

[Blue Screen of Death]

Well, the arugment usually goes something like this..."if we don't pay more, we will not be able to attract talented people to run for congress". Which brings up the question of the talent of the incumbent making that argument. It seems if this argument is true, then the ones voting to increase the pay (remember they ran for office under the old pay scale that would not attract talented people) are not qualified to make the decision.

[Mo1]

Here is a question ...

HAS CONGRESS FUNDED THE MILITARY YET????

OUR MEN & WOMEN IN THE SERVICE DESERVE A PAY RAISE .. NOT THESE MORONS IN CONGRESS THAT CAN ONLY WORK 3 DAYS A WEEK

OUR MEN & WOMEN SERVE OUR COUNTRY AND PUT THEIR BUTTS ON THE LINE SO THAT WE CAN BE FREE

AND ... THESE MOROONS BEST NOT RAISE MY TAXES .. BECAUSE IF I HAVE TO TAKE A PAY CUT .. SO DO THEY

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Thank you for my rant

[Tacis]

Their GROSS incomes have decreased as many corporations have ccut back on congressional bribes. Sure, the labor unions are still paying the democrats ubder the table, but even that revenue stream is dropping. No, these folks have a life style that demands more cash and since they can just pass a bill that increases their own pay and the resultant pensions that their salaries drive, why not? Wouldn't you?

[IronJack]

Nothing's too good for the hired help, eh?

In an election year, you would think a pay raise would be political suicide, wouldn't ya? But they'll sneak it through in the middle of the night or by appending it onto an ag subsidy bill for Burkina Faso, or by phrasing it so that it passes by default.

If you tried to cheat like the Congess does, you'd be in jail.

[AngrySpud]

I'm a county government employee. I have no problem with a cost-of-living increase (2% this year). Anything beyond that ought to be a MERIT pay increase. Lotsa guvmint employees are on such a system, myself included.

It's been many, many years since Congress was entitled to anything other than cost-of-living increases.

[IronJack]

a 258-156 procedural vote at the opening of that debate effectively prevented lawmakers from offering an amendment to kill the raise.

Never mind. Passage by default.

[Boonie Rat]

Congress critters make more than ninety-five percent (95%)of their constituents make. And that doesn't include bribes, theft, haircuts, junkets to all parts of the globe, et. What's wrong with this picture? Get a rope.

Boonie Rat

MACV SOCOM, PhuBai/Hue '65-'66

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

If you tried to cheat like the Congess does, you'd be in jail

BINGO BUMPS JACK

CMON over paljunk and lets raise some he^^

[timydnuc]

They want a raise to conduct "business as usual" that wastes, in an audit, of the NEA amounting to 500 Million....MILLION dollars. The NEA can't find it, as so many other government agencies, just can't find it. That is my money, and it's your money, but they don't care, AND they want a raise? Sick, diluted, power obsessed elitists. Then they attack private business. You want a shining example of pi$$ poor corperate management, look to the federal government.

Any congress critter that votes for this should be recalled....PERIOD!

[altair]

Under a 1989 law, congressional pay raises, determined by a complicated formula that includes a measure of private industry employment costs, go into effect automatically unless lawmakers vote to block it.

How convenient.

[Lazamataz]

Presidents used to get $150,000 a year not so long ago.

Sure pays to be the king(s).

[NativeNewYorker]

I have a modest proposal:

Every lawmaker's pay should be pegged to the stock market.

The broadest measure of stocks' value is the Wilshire 5000, which includes essentially 100% of the traded equities in the US. As such, it suffers from little sector or capitalization bias.

The Wilshire closed at 8365 today (7/18). Times 20 is 167,300.

Set each lawmaker' pay at 20 times THE PRIOR YEAR'S AVERAGE.

They'll have every incentive to keep taxes and interest rates low, with no incentive to ramp things up just in time for the elections.

[brat]

Don't you wish we could do that? Must be nice.

[WyldKard]

Wow..this must be the only truly bipartisian issue out there. :(

[RAT Patrol]

Maybe I'm the only one but I don't think $20,000 over ten years is unreasonable, nor do I think $155,000 is too much for the job required of them. My gripe is when they spend money to buy votes. That's what bugs me.

[Lord_Baltar]

Wow, big surprise.

The only surprise here is that these crooks didn't vote themselves a 10k per year raise, instead of 5k.

[RAT Patrol]

wastes, in an audit, of the NEA amounting to 500 Million....MILLION dollars. The NEA can't find it, as so many other government agencies, just can't find it. That is my money, and it's your money, Now that bugs me too, but the raise seems reasonable.

[Bahbah]

Do not forget that it was Dick Gephardt that brought you this little maneuver in one of those late night, under the radar votes. I felt like going to DC and beating him with a baseball bat. I still do.

[Bahbah]

They do not do the job required of them.

[dogbyte12]

I will not be too concerned until Congressional pay is more than what a utility infielder for the Montreal Expos makes.

I think I would want that much money to have a home in two areas. The only people who don't have to worry about this are those who live close enough like in Virginia. Pay is not the issue, it is performance. Until we start merit pay in the congress, salaries have to be this high, or we will be stuck with a bunch of wealthy trial lawyers who can afford the hit in income to be in congress.

[College Repub]

Or Corzine types!

[gcruse]

Pay the Man

Give them the money, it's stole fair and square.
We are the idiots elected them there.
We send them as lefties and righties, but drat!
They end up Republican and Democrat.

[justshe]

Not only do I hear your rant....but I agree 100%. I have contacted my rep and made your/my view known.

My message was: Take care of those taking care of YOU.... before you take care of yourself.

The men and women in the military deserve MORE than the raises currently proposed.

[gcruse]

Absolutely. They are elected. We expect them to govern, now. That does not include the self-enrichment they are all so enamored of.

[Mo1]

LOL .. Thanks

But Seriously this is COMPLETE BULL .. They have one heck of a nerve giving themselves ANOTHER pay raise

These are the same people who are running around screaming we are running out of money

They have one hell of a nerve pulling this stunt

[Mo1]

Absolutely. They are elected. We expect them to govern, now. That does not include the self-enrichment they are all so enamored of.

Since THEY are the employee and We are the employer

I VOTE for a Pay Freeze on all their salaries

HECK .. FIRE THEM!!!

[Betty Jo]

You get the rope, I'll get the pitchfork!

We are paying the people that sat by and aided and abetted the murders of thousands of Americans by terrorists.

Now they want MORE $$$$$$$.

Like I've said before, they can all go to hell!

[altair]

I wouldn't care if they made a million dollars a year, if they were doing a proper job. They're not and things like automatic pay raises unless they vote to stop it are unconscionable.

If their pay was tied to how many laws they repealed and how many regulations they eliminated or simplified I wouldn't begrudge them 10 million dollars a year. It would be worth it.

[justshe]

We are paying the people that sat by and aided and abetted the murders of thousands of Americans by terrorists.

Aided and abetted is a bit over the top, isn't it? I don't, for one minute, believe one person in the House aided and abetted the terrorists.

[Itzlzha]

Who can provide the vote breakdown on the override?

I want to see who I need to campaign against!!!! I want to see how many Multi-Millionaires just upped their salary at MY expense!!!!

And I'M SUPPOSED TO MAKE DO...WHILE THEY PICK MY POCKET?!?!

If these STUPID (R)'s were to get a raise based on performance, they'd OWE ME $$$$!!!

Time to brush off the famous Jefferson quote...y'know, the one a bout a "little revolution now and then" being a good thing...

[Bahbah]

I could not agree more. And it would be easy to pay for those salaries.

[terilyn]

Most excellent rant!

[maxwellp]

Your rant was beautiful! Our military folks deserve triple what these jerk politicians get.

[Trteamer]

Now wait just a minute their folks, our Congressmen are way too busy passing more laws to be bothered by reading any of them.

When you go to their office with a legitimate request, you don't get the time of day. The only way I will ever get to meet my Congressman would be if I donated money to get into some political event. When they are not in Washington, they are not in their local office.

They need that pay raise because they need it. Doesn't matter how they get it, just be a sheep in the herd and you can get your pay raise too. Don't rock the boat, they have a sweet deal going. They are addicted to passing more laws, so getting the big bucks while doing it is what it's all about.

Call them what they are: "LAWMAKERS".

[gunshy]

I think we ought to pay congress people a million dollars, tax free, a year just to stay in their districts and not pass any new laws.

[Mo1]

I want to see who I need to campaign against!!!! I want to see how many Multi-Millionaires just upped their salary at MY expense!!!!

EXCELLANT POINT!!!

Now I am PO'D EVEN MORE

[gcraig]

Wouldn't you?

No, I wouldn't. I am a conservative, and I do not approve of wasteful government spending. This is wasteful spending.

[jackbill]

The congressional raise is estimated to be about 3.3 percent. The Treasury bill for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1 includes a 4.1 percent cost-of-living increase for civilian federal employees,

You folks can raise all kinds of hell about Congress getting a $5000 pay increase, which amounts to $2.675 million. Yet you don't say a damned word about a 4.1% pay increase for millions of federal bureaucrats, when the cost of living increases only by about 2%. The cost of that is a hell of a lot more than a piddling $2.675 million.

Does anyone believe that the cost of living increase for Social Security recipients will be anywhere near 4.1% next year?

Does anyone care that the federal pensions will go up by 4.1%, along with the bureaucrats' pay?

Does anyone believe that there should be a limit????

[concerned about politics]

Someone said Washington couldn't afford to give us tax slaves any relief. I guess they were right. The politicians are sucking it all up for themselves.

[TonyBanks]

"You folks can raise all kinds of hell about Congress getting a $5000 pay increase, which amounts to $2.675 million. Yet you don't say a damned word about a 4.1% pay increase for millions of federal bureaucrats, when the cost of living increases only by about 2%. The cost of that is a hell of a lot more than a piddling $2.675 million."

Yup.

Just like people get all bent out of shape about a $1.00 ATM charge or a $.10 jump in gas prices.

Penny wise, pound foolish.

[listenhillary]

Totally agree.

Pay them $5,000 per law they repeal. Charge them $10,000 per new bill they submit.

Give them 10 Million dollars each for votes resulting in the elimination of the IRS and limiting government spending to 3% of the GDP.

10 Million each to end social security.

I can dream can't I?

[Desdemona]

Can't Congressional pay be based on merit? Please?

[Jesse]

The only lawmaker to speak against the raise was Rep. James Matheson, D-Utah. "We can't afford it, last year's government surpluses are long gone, we are swimming in red ink, we are fighting a war. We shouldn't be asking the taxpayers to pay us more," he said.

Not ONE Republican spoke out against this?

Meanwhile, back at what's left of the ranch, the stock market is tanking, 3 trillion dollars of wealth has evaporated, and all our so called conservative, fiscally responsible Republican House can do is vote to spend more money, on more entitlements (prescription drug bribe for medicare) and give themselves raises.

And they still find time to send me fundraising letters begging me to help them stay in control or else...what? The democrats will spend more? How?

I've gone from being a grassroots GOP supporter and get out the voter type, to opposing ALL the Republicrats and RINOS. Vote all of them out.

[Shovel88]

I like Walter William's idea,pay them $10,000,000/year as long as they promise to stay out of Washington D.C.for their entire term.It would be far less expensive to us then to let them continue spending other people's money!!