Congress receives 2% pay raise

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | June 14, 2006 | Thomas Burr

[ritewingwarrior]

WASHINGTON - Are you getting a $3,300 pay raise? Congress will. Despite Rep. Jim Matheson's annual argument to have a vote on whether Congress should get a 2 percent pay raise, House members sided with the automatic hike during a debate over a spending bill for several departments. It's the sixth time Matheson, Utah's only Democratic House member, has tried to get a vote on the pay raise and the sixth time he's lost. "We continue to swim in a pool of red ink," Matheson said on the House floor Tuesday. "I don't think it's appropriate to have this . . . raise go through without an up or down vote." House members disagreed 249 to 167 in a procedural vote that avoids a debate over pay. Republican Reps. Rob Bishop and Chris Cannon voted to move forward, and Matheson voted against the rule. Matheson - who declines the raise until the next one takes effect - was the only House member to bring up the pay hike.

[ritewingwarrior]

Whats amazing is that they call this the annual increase but they just approved themselves a pay raise last November. Not nearly a year ago.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/11/18/national/w204415S49.DTL

Not to mention this Congress has been so ineffective its disgusting. Its very convenient how they avoid any debate over the payraise.

[newgeezer]

Shut up, you grandstanding Democrat! Our Republican Congress deserves that raise and more for a job well done!</drippingWithSarcasm>

[misterrob]

Hey, only a 2% growth in spending....

Now that's progress!!!

[RoadTest]

"Congress receives 2% pay raise"

Who decided they deserve it, besides them?

This is a self-serving Congress. They need to be Pennsylvaniad.

[ritewingwarrior]

Yes I'm sorry, I repent for my indiscretion. I'm writing my extra tax check to cover my representatives pay raises as we speak!!

[SaveTheChief]

They should be ashamed of themselves -- every last one of them.

[spintreebob]

If, while in his employ, I lost hundreds of billions of dollars of my employer's money, what would I deserve?

Suppose the head of Exxon had lost billions, rather than made billions, for Exxon. What would he have deserved?

Suppose some third world dependent of the IMF had lost billions of dollars? Of course that would prove that the billions they were given were not enough and should get more.

See a pattern?

[CzarNicky]

Since it only went up 2% they will probably say it was a pay cut.

[MNJohnnie]

Whaaa! I have everything. They are not doing ONLY what I want them to do WHAAAA!

So the Squeal Like Pigs Constantly crowd finally found something now over which to throw their daily tempertantrum.

[Brilliant]

They might as well increase their salary. They will soon be working elsewhere in any event.

[ops33]

I have never understood why these annual COLA increases do not violate the XXVII Ammendment to the US Constitution.

[ritewingwarrior]

Very nice educated post. Im proud to have you on our side.

[atomicpossum]

Congress receives 2% pay raise

They will now do 2% of what they should do.

[Cinnamon]

self-serving bastards... I wish a had a $3400 pay raise..

[Rurudyne]

Just a POV: whenever these "little" pay raises are voted in someone will usually feels the need to mention comparable worth to what major execs make.

Fair enough!

If the composite Entity known as Congress is the CEO/CFO of the United States what––considering its obvious competency as a decision maker OR an accountant––is the comparable worth of such a leader?

10 to 25 years minimum in Club Fed would be my guess, at least on the CFO part.

As a CEO, Congress would merely be unemployable.

SO I LIKE THIS ARGUMENT!

Lets give Congress comparable worth and a 100% pay cut ... I mean, they aren't there to line their pockets ... are they?

[newgeezer]

Well, it seems at least one of the big-government, big-tent, neo-conservative crowd is off his meds today.

[kabar]

There is one good reason to have Congress raise its salary, it also allows top SES employees to get a raise. SES salaries are linked to caps set by Congressional salaries. If Congress doesn't get a raise, it causes wage compression down the ranks.

[Rurudyne]

Well, because they are deemed COLA they aren't deemed actual pay raises.

Kinda like the way the Constitution which establishes Congress isn't considered a law that requires Congress to demonstrate its enumerated authority to do something.

[ritewingwarrior]

A legitimate point, but do they deserve TWO pay raises in 8 months? The last one was in November 2005.

[rolling_stone]

If Congress doesn't get a raise, it causes wage compression down the ranks.

And the downside to this is what?