home

Senate Passes Bill to Forego Pay Raise

The Senate has passed a bill eliminating their cost of living increase for the year. They did the same last year.

The Senate on Thursday passed legislation to scrap its $1600 cost-of-living pay raise for 2011. Lawmakers automatically receive the pay hike unless they vote each year to stop it. The bill was introduced by Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, who has adamantly protested the the annual pay raise since his election in 1992.

Sen. Mark Udall says:

“Coloradans have been fighting to keep their heads above water in a tough economy. Members of Congress shouldn’t get a raise while the constituents who put us into office are struggling to find jobs and afford to pay their bills. This is about doing what is right for the people and the country.”

< Appeals Court Rejects Roman Polanski's Bid Over New Evidence of Judicial Misconduct | Thursday Night Open Thread >
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • Display: Sort:
    Talk about a no-brainer (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by ruffian on Thu Apr 22, 2010 at 09:39:45 PM EST
    I'll have to see if anyone voted no.

    If they really wanted... (none / 0) (#2)
    by kdog on Fri Apr 23, 2010 at 08:19:36 AM EST
    to show some solidarity with the working people of the USA, they'd have voted themselves a paycut, like so many have experienced, with an increase in their health insurance contribution...or better yet, accept whatever the average unemployment check is.

    Parent
    A nice gesture but totally meaningless (none / 0) (#3)
    by nyrias on Fri Apr 23, 2010 at 11:11:09 AM EST
    That $1600 adjustment x 100 or so lawmakers will totally less than $200k (is this just for the senate? even if you throw in the house, will be less than 1M).

    That is less than NOISE in the kind of decision senators make. Even if that take 1 min out of their time to do this (which i am sure they spend WAY MORE time to make positioning speeches), it is a VERY inefficient use of their time.

    $1600, over a year, is a small amount of money anyway. It is like one good dinner for a family of 4 each month.