Pelosi: Congressional pay cut undermines dignity of the job

The Hill ^ | 14 Feb 13 | Mike Lillis

[SkyPilot]

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that she opposes a cut in congressional pay because it would diminish the dignity of lawmakers' jobs.

"I don't think we should do it; I think we should respect the work we do," Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol. "I think it's necessary for us to have the dignity of the job that we have rewarded."

The comments were made in the context of the looming sequester, which would force across-the-board cuts affecting most federal offices, including Congress. With lawmakers nowhere near a deal to avert those cuts, federal agencies are bracing for ways to absorb them with minimum damage to programs and personnel.

Pelosi, whose husband is a wealthy real-estate developer, was quick to note that a cut in her own pay would be far less significant than that for both staffers and less wealthy members of Congress.

"It's a hard question to ask me because most of my colleagues are the breadwinners in their families," she said. "A pay cut to me doesn't mean as much."

[SkyPilot]

No, this is not satire. It is real. Check out the link. It is a story from today's news on Capitol Hill.

She is quite a piece of work, isn't she?

Sadly, I think her comments reflect the sentiment of most people in Congress, Republicans as well as Democrats.

I guess she believes that "paycuts are good for thee, but not for me."

Related:

Many federal workers facing furloughs are veterans

"If the federal government is forced to furlough civilian employees in the event of sequestration, the burden will fall heavily on a population that Congress and the White House have vowed to support: veterans.

More than two out of five of the approximately 800,000 Department of Defense employees facing furloughs are veterans, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Wednesday.

“Forty-four percent of them are veterans,” Carter told the House Armed Services Committee during a hearing on the potential effect of sequestration on the military. ”Very soon we’re going to have to furlough the great majority of them.”

The Pentagon expects to furlough its civilian employees for the maximum statutory length of 22 days between the beginning of April and the end of the year, Carter said. That will amount to 20 percent of their pay, he noted.

I will say this for Ashton Carter, the Deputy Secretary of Defense: he went on the records before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees this week and said that even though he is a political appointee and exempt from furloughs, he would voluntarily take a 20% paycut like every other DoD employee in the event of sequestration.

How many people think member of the White House, Congress, and their staffers would do the same?

I bet if they were facing a paycut, they would have a deal on entitlement reform and federal spending so quick it would make your head spin.

[Publius]

She should have her own comedy special on HBO or Showtime.

[beethovenfan]

This corrupt old skank is talking about DIGNITY???? What a bad joke.

[laweeks]

Truly bizarre coming from a millionaire liar and thief. Just plain bizarre. But she still has to take money from the “little folks.” Sicko!

[Bringbackthedraft]

I think we should respect the work we do,”.............. OH really? Just what have you accomplished that deserves such respect? Like most of us, I thought this was a Semmens article.

[BenLurkin]

“We have to pass it ... so we can find out what is in it.”

[FlingWingFlyer]

I don’t think we should pay politicans anything. Once they’re elected, they have all kinds of dough rolling in through backroom deals and schemes. They don’t need taxpayer dollars.

[Real Cynic No More]

Congressional dignity? We’ve found a brand new oxymoron to top military intelligence!

[GeronL]

dignity?

dignity?

Congress?

Sheila Bat**** Lee, Baby Hooker Menendez.... are there any big name Dems who aren’t insane?

[joethedrummer]

This MORON has no concept of her own position!

The founders created congress to be a SERVICE; a TEMPORARY SERVICE position, not a means for these folks to sit for 20+ years getting rich like they do now.

SHAME on you Californians who keep this piece of crap in office.

[cripplecreek]

Dignity?

LOL

[Sergio]

bkmk

[Average Al]

How about a revocation of the law that protects them from insider trading charges......That would get her attention!

[Malone LaVeigh]

Like most of us, I thought this was a Semmens article.

LOL! I don't know what John could do to spoof this nonsense.

[C210N]

By removing any pay whatsoever, we would accomplish the same goal trying to be achieved with term limits.

Reps/Sinators would not live in DC. They would by nature be part-timers, and go back home to make a buck between LONG recesses. They would not run $million dollar incumbent campaigns for re-election.

The state rep pay in NH is “$200 per term”, and is in their Constitution.

The less time in session, the less damage they can do...

[Secret Agent Man]

she’s looking like emperor palpatine more and more.
and hillary’s going full-bore jabba the hut.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I agree 100%. The House and Senate should meet in Washington for 2 weeks twice a year. It should not be a full time job for those slobs. Let them get real jobs like the rest of us.

[S.O.S121.500]

The jokes write themselves....

[cripplecreek]

I think the first legislation my congressman introduced when he was elected was to require them to spend at least 21 days per month in their home districts.

He’s still sleeping in his office.

[LostInBayport]

Dignity?