In Midnight Vote, Senate Opens Door to Giving Themselves $4,900 Pay Raise

AP | 12/08/01

[Bad~Rodeo]

EXACTLY, but WE AS A UNITED COUNTRY MUST VOTE!!!

[VA Advogado]

This really angers me. People are out of work and the ones that are employed are really worried about being fired next.

When, in the course of human events has this not been the case? People are always out of work. People, including those in Congress, can always be fired.

[Bad~Rodeo]

I FEAR that you're correct.~Sighs~

[jf55510]

The 27th Admendment says:

No Law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.

Since this will not go into effect until FY 2003 there is no problem because it will take effect after the 2002 elections.

[butter pecan fan]

"Congress Ponders Pay Hike"

Now forming: FreepAlert!

[Dan from Michigan]

CArl Lenin and Debbie Stabusall SUCK

[paul51]

I'd like to see the ones that voted no refuse to take. That would be a lot more meaningful. I can't help but believe some of the no voters are just too cowardly to vote yes but they turn around and take the money.

[VA Advogado]

There is probably good economic reason why people are willing to spend millions to sit in congress.

What is it then? Even ignoring the time value of money it would take a guy like Bad~Rodeo's pal Corzine 400 years in office to recoup his $60 million. Sounds like you're using million mom math.

[Temple Owl]

This is just one of many reasons that I am in favor of term limits.
The perks they get are unbelievable.
They continue to pass laws which take away our freedoms.

[VA Advogado]

I'd rather they just take the money and stay at home about 11 and 1/2 months a year. Anything they need to do actually mandated by the US Consittution could be handled in less than two weeks. No one is safe when these fools are in session doing the "peoples business".

I would agree with that. I dont deny they're all trouble for us. But the reality is they are there and a cost of living increase is not the big deal most of the skulls full of mush here make it out to be.

[paul51]

Note, a nay vote means yes for the increase and a yah means no for the increase.

[mlocher]

personally, i would like to see pay linked to performance. how about a law that says senators only get a raise when they had a balanced budget four years in a row, and deal with critical legislation as outlined by the president?

[areafiftyone]

People are always out of work

That is true. But this time the unemployment rate is much worse. My friends in New York and New Jersey who have gotten laid off cannot find a job because the job market is so bad. Even the max check from unemployment cannot keep you above water. Its a different story when you get laid off when the job market is good because you won't have a hard time finding another job. I have been amazed at the shrinking of the Help Wanted Ads in the papers. How easy is it to fire a Senator or Congressman compared to a regular employee?

[cva66snipe]

What is it then?

The nice high dollar lobby jobs that come afterward perhaps? BTW their pay doesn't stop when the leave office right? Retirement benifits right? Yea some buy there way in and their investment comes back hundred fold at the end of public office. So why do they need that much pay then?

[Hildy]

I still don't understand, how, after all this time, we still allow them to vote for their own pay raises. IT MAKES NOT SENSE.

[WIMom]

Vote by party and sub totals:

State	Party	Senator	Vote
CA	D	Boxer	Nay
CA	D	Feinstein	Nay
CT	D	Dodd	Nay
CT	D	Lieberman	Nay
DE	D	Biden	Nay
DE	D	Carper	Nay
FL	D	Graham	Nay
FL	D	Nelson	Nay
HI	D	Akaka	Nay
HI	D	Inouye	Nay
IA	D	Harkin	Nay
IN	D	Bayh	Nay
LA	D	Breaux	Nay
LA	D	Landrieu	Nay
MA	D	Kennedy	Nay
MA	D	Kerry	Nay
MD	D	Mikulski	Nay
MD	D	Sarbanes	Nay
MN	D	Dayton	Nay
ND	D	Conrad	Nay
ND	D	Dorgan	Nay
NE	D	Nelson	Nay
NJ	D	Torricelli	Nay
NM	D	Bingaman	Nay
NV	D	Reid	Nay
NY	D	Clinton	Nay
RI	D	Reed	Nay
SC	D	Hollings	Nay
SD	D	Daschle	Nay
VT	D	Leahy	Nay
WA	D	Cantwell	Nay
WA	D	Murray	Nay
WI	D	Kohl	Nay
WV	D	Byrd	Nay
WV	D	Rockefeller	Nay
		Total	35
AR	D	Lincoln	Yea
GA	D	Cleland	Yea
GA	D	Miller	Yea
IL	D	Durbin	Yea
MI	D	Levin	Yea
MI	D	Stabenow	Yea
MN	D	Wellstone	Yea
MO	D	Carnahan	Yea
MT	D	Baucus	Yea
NC	D	Edwards	Yea
NJ	D	Corzine	Yea
NY	D	Schumer	Yea
OR	D	Wyden	Yea
SD	D	Johnson	Yea
WI	D	Feingold	Yea
		Total	15
VT	I	Jeffords	Not Voting
		Total	1
AK	R	Murkowski	Nay
AK	R	Stevens	Nay
AL	R	Shelby	Nay
AZ	R	Kyl	Nay
CO	R	Campbell	Nay
ID	R	Craig	Nay
ID	R	Crapo	Nay
IN	R	Lugar	Nay
KY	R	McConnell	Nay
MO	R	Bond	Nay
MS	R	Cochran	Nay
MS	R	Lott	Nay
MT	R	Burns	Nay
NE	R	Hagel	Nay
NH	R	Gregg	Nay
NM	R	Domenici	Nay
OH	R	Voinovich	Nay
OK	R	Inhofe	Nay
OK	R	Nickles	Nay
PA	R	Santorum	Nay
RI	R	Chafee	Nay
SC	R	Thurmond	Nay
TN	R	Frist	Nay
TN	R	Thompson	Nay
TX	R	Gramm	Nay
UT	R	Bennett	Nay
UT	R	Hatch	Nay
VA	R	Allen	Nay
VA	R	Warner	Nay
WY	R	Thomas	Nay
		Total	30
NC	R	Helms	Not Voting
		Total	1
AL	R	Sessions	Yea
AR	R	Hutchinson	Yea
AZ	R	McCain	Yea
CO	R	Allard	Yea
IA	R	Grassley	Yea
IL	R	Fitzgerald	Yea
KS	R	Brownback	Yea
KS	R	Roberts	Yea
KY	R	Bunning	Yea
ME	R	Collins	Yea
ME	R	Snowe	Yea
NH	R	Smith	Yea
NV	R	Ensign	Yea
OH	R	DeWine	Yea
OR	R	Smith	Yea
PA	R	Specter	Yea
TX	R	Hutchison	Yea
WY	R	Enzi	Yea
		Total	18

[VA Advogado]

Unemployment is 5.7%. I understand if its YOUR job then unemployment is 100%. But keep this in perspective. During the 1980's, when Reagan came into office, by Sept of that year the rate was 10.2%. That, my friend, was a recession. This is a burp.

[VA Advogado]

So why do they need that much pay then?

Sounds like you fell off the last democrat turnip truck. Do you realize how much you sound like Richard Gephart, Henry Waxman, Hillary Clinton and Tom Dashle with that statement? You proud of yourself?

[areafiftyone]

I have been unemployed for 2 months since Oct 5th. I didn't want to jump on my own sob story.

[Jeff Gordon Fan]

Allen (R-VA), Nay
I'm surprised that Senator Warner voted Nay too. I guess that the senators can afford to have lobster and prime rib every night now... ha ha ha