House Republicans Choose Money Over Majority
Congress to get a $4,400 pay raise
By Bluey Posted in Congress | Featured Stories — Comments (13) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Just when House Republicans started to regain the trust of conservatives on fiscal restraint, they decided to team up with Democrats to vote themselves a $4,400 pay raise. It's almost laughable, but in Washington it's business as usual.
For starters, the notion that members of Congress deserve a pay raise is just remarkable in itself. Just 19% of Americans think Congress doing a good or excellent job, a pretty clear sign that the average Joe wouldn't support boosting congressional pay to nearly $170,000. Do a better job, and then you can get a raise.
Yet when the vote came up yesterday, 99 Republicans joined 145 Democrats to approve the pay hike. Nearly the entire House Republican leadership was complicit.
Supporters of the pay increase argue that it's a cost-of-living adjustment that's no different from what other government workers get each year. They also argue that some members aren't wealthy and are forced to sleep in their office or make other personal sacrifices.
Read the rest on the jump ...
I'm not buying it. One of those members we're supposed to feel sorry for is freshman Rep. Tim Walberg (R.-Mich.), a true fiscal conservative. Walberg actually sleeps in his office, and based on his vote against the pay raise yesterday, doesn't appear to have a problem with it. "Michigan is in an economic recession and its leaders need to be making sacrifices to bring the Wolverine state back to prosperity," said spokesman Matt Lahr. "The Congressman has been outspoken about making tax relief permanent and felt it would be inconsistent to vote to increase his own pay."
Another critic of the pay raise, Rep. Jeff Flake (R.-Ariz.), doesn’t believe it's appropriate for members of Congress to receive pay raises while the federal government is running deficits, according to his spokesman.
The issue is a contentious one for both parties. After attacking Republicans in several campaigns last year, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D.-Ill.) wasn't eager to have a showdown over the pay raise. John Bresnahan of the Politico thinks the GOP now has an issue to use against Democrats. I don't see why it would be. Republicans had just as much of a role in this as their counterparts. Shame on them.
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House Republicans Choose Money Over Majority 13 Comments (0 topical, 13 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
I'd be willing to pay these jokers a LOT more ($1MM++) if they would (i) pass a balanced budget (including future entitlement obligations); and (ii) reduce government spending as a percentage of GDP.
This has real possibility! Any other incentive bonuses you would add??
Cut federal government and give state government big incentive raises. State/local government are closer to the people. Federal govt can be used as a conduit to help spread best practices from state to state.
Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country can do for you. Washington Elected Elite
...That State and Local gov'ts are any better than the Feds.
They're not! Heck, sometimes they're even worse!
I think if you want to be a "small government conservative", you'd better be willing to support reducing government at *all levels*...
But you're point about the Feds being used "as a conduit to help spread best practices from state to state" has a lot of merit.
especially when the House GOP has really gotten their act together so far this Congress. Sure, it would've been nice for them not to vote in favor of this, but as far as I can tell, conservatism lives in the House GOP and we are reclaiming our Republican brand again.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
Raise it to $200,000 a year for all I care. But pass a law that cuts their pay in half in any year when they fail to pass a balanced budget, i.e., any budget that adds to the net national debt.
I'd say to give them all a quarter million dollar bonus for every quarter billion they cut of spending AND taxes.
Run like Reagan!
Make that 'every quarter TRILLION' they cut.
Run like Reagan!
up for a good game of quarters.
"I have nothing but contempt for Representatives who only represent themselves." - H. Roe Bartle
Military pay is tied to congressional pay. Means I get a new raise...
"It's a book about a man who doesn't know he's about to die, and then dies...
...But if the man does know he's going to die and dies anyway. Dies, dies willing, knowing he can stop it, then...
Well, isn't that the type of man you want to keep alive?"
Karen Eiffel, Stranger Than Fiction
death benefit instead of a salary. Tell them they have until next Tuesday to qualify.
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
Crime DOES pay!
Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what your country can do for you. Washington Elected Elite