(GOP controlled) Congress Boosts Pay, Postpones Other Work

[UpInArms]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/18/AR2005111802165.html

WASHINGTON -- The Republican-controlled Congress helped itself to a $3,100 pay raise on Friday, then postponed work on bills to curb spending on social programs and cut taxes in favor of a two-week vacation.

In the final hours of a tumultuous week in the Capitol, Democrats erupted in fury when House GOP leaders maneuvered toward a politically-charged vote _ and swift rejection _ of one war critic's call for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. "You guys are pathetic, pathetic," Massachusetts Rep. Martin Meehan yelled across a noisy hall at Republicans.

On another major issue, a renewal of the Patriot Act remained in limbo as an unlikely coalition of liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans sought curbs on the powers given law enforcement in the troubled first days after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

<snip>

The cost-of-living increase for members of Congress _ which will put pay for the rank and file at an estimated $165,200 a year _ marked a brief truce in the pitched political battles that have flared in recent weeks on the war and domestic issues.

So much so that the issue was not mentioned on the floor of either the House or Senate as lawmakers worked on legislation whose passage will assure bigger paychecks.

...more...

[54anickel]

1. There are days that I wonder "why bother having a Congress at all"

They do little to nothing for most Americans other than pick our pockets for their lobbyist friends and themselves, and play us against each other like pawns in their little political games. This is another one of those days. :eyes:

[aquart]

2. Three THOUSAND dollars????????? EACH???

I could wring their greedy necks.

Let's all run for Congress on the I Want Mine, Too, ticket. Only we promise to kick 50% back. I could see this as a vote getter.

[54anickel]

5. But it's really just a tiny increase when you look at the percentage

of their

$165,200 annual salary

Granted, that salary doesn't sound like much when compared to the average CEO, but when compared to the average Joe that these suckers are SUPPOSED to be representing - them's big bucks!

[aquart]

7. in the good old days, we gave our leaders everything.

then we cut out their entrails and read the future. which looked much better under that system.

[awoke_in_2003]

24. Especially when...

some average Joes got no pay raise, or were forced to take a pay cut, last year.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

29. ...gets little vacation and works twice as hard as these clowns.

[northzax]

16. well, to be fair

it doesn't kick in until next term, I think. Isn't there an amendment about this?

or was this a COLA increase, and therefore acceptable? legally, if not morally?

[superconnected]

3. on the day they cut all those social progams with the budget cuts

Well, we know where their hearts are.

amazing what they CAN afford.

[tk2kewl]

14. amazing, isn't it?

makes my head spin


this definitely must not be forgotten. cut money for your kids' educations on the same day they raised their own salaries :grr:

[rodeodance]

4. and social programs for the poor, elderly, disabled were cut. How can

this happen!!!!!!!

[nickgutierrez]

6. Wow.

That first sentence says it all, doesn't it? Give themselves a raise, go on vacation, and to hell with everything else.

[primavera]

36. Now, now, who among us wouldn't pay these guys to stay home?

God knows the country would be in vastly better shape if they stayed home and did nothing rather than legislate. I for one would be happy to pay extra taxes to buy their inactivity.

[fortyfeetunder]

41. With the Internet, they could vote at home

time to implement those 21st century technologies we have to use on the job: teleconferencing, Internet-enabled network meetings, and voting...

[primavera]

44. Oh, right, I hadn't thought of that

And here I thought I was on to something, I could almost see the headline stories: "Americans take up collection to pay Congress to stay home where they can do no further damage!"

[Massacure]

8. Welcome to the United States of Hypocracy.

:eyes:

[Celeborn Skywalker]

9. Typical.

What a bunch of greedy, corrupt, assholes.

[Miss Chybil]

10. Cut food stamps and gave themselves a raise.

What good Republicans. I would have been disappointed had they done any less. Well, maybe, next week they can get rid of Social Security, throw another war and go on a cruise. Ah, ain't politics grand?

On edit: What about the cost of living raise for minimum wage workers? Sorry. I forgot, only the rich people need more money. How thoughtless of me.

[jillan]

11. Well the dems earned it.

The repugs should be ashamed.

[williesgirl]

13. How do you figure? They did nothing until 2 weeks ago - and only then

because the polls "freed them up". Ball-less wonders all of them.

[williesgirl]

12. They're all bums. Records deficits they caused, cutting programs to the

poor (of which none of them is). For God's sake, they're all millionaires. What is $3,100 annually to them - not even a decimal point. Their tax cuts to the rich (themselves)makes this look comical if it weren't so serious.

I bet the hurricane/flood victims could certainly put it to much better use.

Shame on all of them - pukes and dems alike.

[ailsagirl]

22. Amen (except for a few exceptions)

Yes, I'm sure the hurricane/flood victims could put it to
better use. Or the unemployed. Or the veterans. Or the
elderly. Or those who can't file bankruptcy.

[vickitulsa]

15. I just paid $78.45 for 15 pills to keep me alive another ten days.

Because my doc's nurse wrote a prescription wrong and wouldn't listen to me when I tried to get the mistake corrected, these 15 pills "fell in a crack" where Medicaid would not pay for them.

Laying out this money tonight means I will NOT be able to pay my rent tomorrow. I live on a $688/month Disability check, and my lot rent is $350/month. I now receive $80/month in food stamps -- which I am waiting with dread to hear they'll be cutting.

Yeah, Congresspeople, play your political games, send troops to war and cut life-saving entitlements to citizens like me. I worked like a dog for 33 years in corporate America's offices for borderline poverty pay, and now live so far below the poverty line I can't even SEE the line.

And then yeah, Congresspeople, get together in one voice and VOTE YOURSELVES a pay raise ... voting yourselves an additional monthly amount that alone is equal to my TOTAL INCOME for almost five months!!

I'm just sick at heart and wondering if what I've suspected for the last few years is correct: What they really WANT by cutting entitlement funding to people like me is for us to just go ahead and GIVE UP! "You can't live without those medications?" they ask. "Well then just go ahead and DIE, you worthless, useless, poor folk who clutter up our America and waste good air when you breathe it!"

No wonder Americans have even less respect for and confidence in you Congresspeople than they do in this sorry excuse for a President.

WHY ON EARTH do you "need" a raise, anyhow?? Most of you are wealthy, many are even millionaires! Vote yourselves a pay raise in the same day you cut my food stamp allotment ... yeah, I'm so proud of you all....

[northzax]

17. It's not really an unreasonable salary, considering

It is not cheap to be a congressperson, you need to maintain two residences, among other things. I don't want them to be poor and be more tempted to take bribes. I think their COLA adjustments should be linked to increases in Social Security and other government benefits. If SS goes up 2 percent, then congress should go up the same, or less.

[FlaGranny]

27. You're kidding?

SS goes up 2% so Congress deserves 2%? Compare living on $10,000 to $160,000? Yes, I'm sure Congresspeople need this just as much as your average old person living on $10,000.

[northzax]

35. it's gotta go up, right?

even congresspeople deserve a cost of living adjustment, every federal employee gets them (3.5% this year, by the way) They have to pay mortgages, electricity, braces and college as well. In two cities, including one of the most expensive. (I know, congressmen are rich, but that doesn't explain why many of them live like interns in DC, sharing small apartments with eachother. I know a townhouse on the Hill that has seven congressmen living in it.)

anyway, that's why the congressional increase should be .1% less that the lowest federal COLA adjustment, whether that's SocSec, Military, Pension or Federal Employee. .1% less. works for me.

[FlaGranny]

42. They deserve it?

They should be ashamed. Maybe they should take pay cuts to equal the percentage of the cuts they are making in school lunches. If kids can go without food, maybe the good congresspeople can go without a power lunch or two.

[Barkley]

37. I agree they do need COLA adjustment but so do min. wage earners

and the rest of us.

Why is it that "they" get COLAs and working poor folks don't?

However, I disagree with the motive for the COLAs since greed and power not fear of poverty are the reasons why you have to 'pay to play' in Congress.

[Gelliebeans]

18. Too bad this raise isn't based

on job performance. Most Americans won't see a raise this year and even if they do, the extra money will go toward larger medical deductibles or energy and gasoline costs. Just doesn't seem very fair to me. :shrug:

[Barkley]

39. In the spirit of "Arnold" there should be local referendums on Cong. raise

Republicans are quick to demand pay for performance for teachers why not them too?

It OUR money and they work for us!

[saigon68]

19. RePuke dogs

[gauguin57]

20. Pennsylvania's General Assembly was pressured to repeal pay hike

... The uproar was so severe here in PA against those who voted for the pay/benefit hike (well-organized protest groups (with greedy-pig statues on the Capitol steps, etc.) ... groups promised a Clean Sweep of all incumbents from office) that the state house and senate voted to repeal the pay hike!! Some have publicly apologized to constituents and admitted they made a big mistake.

Amazing turn of events in PA, because of citizen pressure!!!

It happened in PA ... we've gotta make it happen in the U.S. Congress. Threaten to throw the effin' bums out till they do their jobs and get their hands out of the till!!!

[ailsagirl]

21. What about the rest of us who can barely make ends meet?

We're paying their effing salaries and have virtually no say
about the fact that our money is used to pay their effing
raises.

And, if you ask me, they don't earn even half of what they
make.

I've so had it with GREED

GRRRRRRRRRR

[texpatriot2004]

23. I say we vote ourselves a $3,100 pay raise and vote to take a

vacation...what do you say?

[ailsagirl]

45. I'm with you, texpatriot2004!! Why we can't get a groundswell of

support from the rest of America is beyond me!! As long as
we, the people, take their guff, we're stuff with paying
for it. (Of course, I'm not referring to those who truly
serve us, such as people like Conyers-- THEY deserve a
raise!)

[SillyGoose]

25. I'm sorry but this is a disgrace.

They cut Medicaid, food stamps, student loans and other benefit programs that "normally rise with inflation and eligibility", while giving themselves a cost-of-living pay raise and extending tax cuts for the wealthy.

I read a while back that the approval rating for Congress was about 19%. In the real world, there would be no raise, there would be a probationary period in which to get their acts together or they would be let go.

I note with disgust the following excerpt from the article:

~~~The measure drew bipartisan support, passing on a vote of 64-33. Its provisions would continue a series of existing tax breaks that otherwise will expire, and shelters 14 million upper middle-income families from higher taxes.

The White House has threatened a veto, citing a provision that raises taxes on oil companies.~~~

[wellst0nev0ter]

26. *Ow* There Goes My Sense of Outrage

absolutely no shame.

No shame at all.

[classysassy]

28. More dough for the greedy,zilch for the needy

why do we put up with those greedy MF's,all of them are heartless crooks.?

[RedEarth]

30. Congress gets a holiday gift: $3,100 pay raise (Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!)

Congress gets a holiday gift: $3,100 pay raise
House also passes $50 billion deficit-reduction bill

By David Espo
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The Republican-controlled Congress helped itself to a $3,100 pay raise on Friday, then postponed work on bills to curb spending on social programs and cut taxes in favor of a two-week vacation. Both the House and Senate were in session after midnight Thursday, working on the tax and deficit-cutting bills at the heart of the GOP agenda.


"What it does is start to turn down the escalating costs . . . for our children and our grandchildren. One of the things that we cannot leave to that next generation is a huge deficit that they can't afford," House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said after enactment of a $50 billion deficit-reduction bill.

Democrats dissented, with one eye on the 2006 elections.
"The Republicans are taking food out of the mouths of children to give tax cuts to America's wealthiest. This is not a statement of America's values," said the Democratic leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

The cost-of-living increase for members of Congress -- which will put pay for the rank and file at an estimated $165,200 a year -- marked a brief truce in the pitched political battles that have flared in recent weeks on the war and domestic issues. Instead, lawmakers worked on legislation that would assure them bigger paychecks.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051119/NEWS06/511190476

[Peter Frank]

31. What Hypocrites...

I guess they're immune to spending cuts.

[global1]

32. Amid All The Yelling And Contention Yesterday - When Did They Slip This...

in?

[Straight Shooter]

33. Let the Democrats donate their increase to Make A Wish foundation.

Or any other worthy charity for that matter. I don't want to hear any grumbling by Democratic representatives unless they're willing to put their money where their mouth is.

$165,200 per year, plus all the immeasurable perks that come with the job. No wonder they're all so willing to spend to the hilt in their campaigns to be elected.

The GOP is afflicted with a CEO mindset. Too bad the company is going bankrupt under their "leadership."

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. I can't condone any Congressional payraise until

minimum wage is raised to appropriately reflect all the cost of living increases that were never allotted to it.

Write to your reps, my friends. They need a good dose of our outrage. :grr:

[mbperrin]

40. Let's see - one increase of $1/hr for minimum wage in 21 years, and

20 raises for Congress total nearly $90,000 in the same 21 years.

Yeah, seems reasonable, don't it?

Never wonder why American families need everyone in the family working for the corporate machine - real wages (what they'll buy) are down 50% in the last 25 years, or since Ronnie Raygun came into office - and what a coinkydink that is!

[mitchum]

38. Kinda makes you wish that the US military had not shot down...

the plane "heading for The Capitol"

[KansDem]

43. Well, once again, the GOP demonstrates what's important and what isn't!

:eyes:

[Renew Deal]

46. Why do they deserve a raise?

They country is running deficits and they are cutting programs. How do raises fit in?