Like that
Posted on 12/08/2001 8:52:29 AM PST by Bad~Rodeo
WASHINGTON (AP) - Members of Congress are on their way to a $4,900 pay raise in January as the Senate used a midnight vote to thwart lawmakers who tried to block it.
After a debate that lasted five minutes late Friday night, the Senate used a 65-33 procedural vote to defeat an effort by Sens. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., to stop the increase from taking effect. Under a 1989 law, legislators get an annual cost-of-living raise unless the House and Senate vote to block it, a mechanism that often lets the increases take effect with little notice. .
The latest boost is for 3.4 percent and will raise members' annual salaries to $150,000. .
Feingold questioned the timing of a congressional pay boost when "our economy is in a recession and hundreds of thousands of workers have been laid off." He also noted that the string of four straight budget surpluses is now expected to end. .
Fourteen of the 30 senators running for re-election next year voted against the pay raise. Two who will retire in January - Sens. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, and Strom Thurmond, R-S.C. - voted for the increase, while a third retiree - Jesse Helms, R-N.C. - did not vote. .
Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., voted not to block the increase. .
The House has already passed legislation opening the door for the pay increase. .
The January increase will be the third congressional pay raise in the last four years. Before this period, lawmakers increased their salaries less frequently, but the political risk faded as the economy boomed and federal surpluses soared in the late 1990s. .
By tradition, the annual spending bill for the Treasury Department is the battleground for congressional pay raises. .
The final version of that bill, which lacked language blocking the pay raise, overwhelmingly passed the House and Senate this fall and was signed into law by President Bush on Nov. 12. .
Feingold was blocked from trying to stop the pay raise earlier this year. The vote Friday came as the Senate debated the defense spending bill. .
Well you don't get any points for waiting 2 more posts to do that. However, would it make your situation any better if they didn't take the COLA increase? Seriously? Would that put any more food on your table?
No I'm neither GOP nor DEM, nor Libertarian, nor Brigadier, for that matter. I'm a Constitution Preservationist. You know that document our founders gave us that both parties so much despise? I think both houses based on performance and their lack of abiding to constitutional principle do not deserve a pay raise. They for the past 7 years have shown blatant disregard for the constitution unprecedented in our history even in the Civil War. I support none of the Democratic agenda and little of the present GOP's agenda as well.
Like that
Earns?
The leaches just gave themselves a raise using our tax money.
Really showing your Liberalism side bro.
They both show as nay on the chart
I never saw anyone retire out that didn't make more money on the hour in civilian work. As for retention bonunes being $45K? In 80 they were $15K. That puts it about the same allowing for price increases and minimum wage increases now seen. I was offered such and it still would not have made a family life comfortable even at E-5. BTW is that $45K for 4 or 6 years and taxes? At 6 years for $45k they'll keep about $5200 a year after taxes. I was in the volunteer military so I know what it means. I also saw the Navy loose a lot of good people to places like the shipyards. A job of twice the pay was offered me starting the next day that I got out of the Navy. The shipyard tried to recruit me.
What has Congress done this year to deserve a raise ?
Provide for the common defense ? Nope, blew that one big time.
Protect our borders and control immigration ? Nope, blew that one big time.
Keep the government within it's Constitutional boundaries ? Nope.
Ensure that our tax dollars are wisely spent ? Nope.
We got a paltry tax cut. Thank you, Massa Government.
RalphieBoy Nader made a big stink about this a few years ago. It's a Nader-type issue and he and his supporters are welcome to it.
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