Daylife/AP Photo by Matt Rourke
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Despite the country’s economic meltdown, Congress is about to receive an automatic $4,700 pay raise on Thursday — a 2.8 percent increase over the current $169,300 salary for most members.
Rep. Jim Matheson says that is unconscionable, and he’s vowing to renew his annual fight to stop such automatic raises. He says the bad economy might just help him win this year, and a government watchdog group is joining his battle to say the raise is a bad idea in such times.
“In a situation where there aren’t many people in this country who are seeing their salaries go up, and in fact a lot of people are losing their jobs, the notion that Congress should be having an automatic pay raise without even a vote just doesn’t pass the smell test,” Matheson said earlier this month…
Since Matheson entered Congress, he has attempted every year to force Congress to vote on whether to accept a raise rather than receive it automatically. He has always failed on procedural votes that would lead to such a straight up-or-down vote.
Matheson every year gives the amount from his pay raise to charity.
No Bonus??????? They could make so much more money in private industry.
HAR!!!!!!!!!!
Pay for performance, not.
Bobo,
The problem is in private industry you at least need the “appearance” of competence. Then of course Looking at GM and the big 3 though, it’s pretty obvious you only need the appearance of competence to be a big money making executive not actual competence.
Depession what depression?
They deserve a pay raise for all the fine work they’ve done why without them we wouldn’t even be in a depression and think of all the billions they have spent fixing it!
It is fixed right?
If these people got what they deserved it would be tired, feathered, and ridden out of DC on a rail!
#3–Breetai==hah, hah. You couldn’t even get it out with a straight face.
And thats the sad truth of it.
Actually, an automatic raise is built into my contract at work. But I think folks in Congress and Senate should have their salary set at the time of election and no increase while they’re in office.
Would certainly discourage career politicians, which would be a good thing.
The problem now is they (Congress members) will make a big deal about how they are going to cancel the raise and then in a few weeks they’ll re-instate it.
I wonder if he claims the charitable contribution on his taxes to get it back.
Nobody cares about the intent of the Twenty-seventh Amendment.
“No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.”
Congress just went around it by making the increase automatic, waited one election cycle for the law to go into effect, and never has to vote again.
ditto #6 (except the first sentence lol)
Why aren’t there term limits for these yahoos?
Congressional salary structure should resemble a bell curve. Minimum at the beginning, increase to maximum 10 to 12 years out and then start to decrease again. Thanks for your service, see you around!
The reason that this occurs automatically is that the 27th amendment — proposed in 1789 but not passed until 1992 — prohibits receiving pay raises until after an election has occurred. So Congress made this automatic-increase law to get around the amendment. I believe someone challenged this in court and the court allowed this workaround.
By taking effect after an election they avoid the wrath of the electorate which (unfortunately) has a short attention span.
TESTing, 1 2 3…this is only a test
Imagine if someone submitted a bill to tie Congresscritters’ pay to Minimum Wage!
=:0
J/P=?
# 16 GetSmart said, “I’m changing my name to Bank of America. I need venture capital for a Ponzi scheme.”
Hey, you just stole my idea! 😉
And I thought this kind of garbage only happened here in Honduras.
I don’t find the worst Congress in history (for allowing the worst President in history to remain in office) giving itself a payraise very amusing at all. What’s wrong with those people? They must be wacked in the head.
16,17
If you REALLy want to know..
AT the START.
These jobs were paid as a STIPEND. And ALLOWANCE was given for Board and room and travel time..ONLY. They MOSTLY had jobs AT HOME to depend on.
Its like Teachers, getting $40k per year, and 3 months OFF..EXCEPT these folks make 4 times THAT and get 6 MONTHS OFF.
I would rather Give the congress and reps 1/2 as much and give TEACHERS, Wages commensurate to HOW WELL they Taught UPTO 2 times What they are earning.
Of course they deserve a raise. They are government employees just like everyone else.
# 20 ECA said, “16,17 If you REALLy want to know..”
Yes I know. Unlike you, I was born here.