House accepts $4,400 pay raise

[Psycho4Bud]

WASHINGTON -- Despite record-low approval ratings, House lawmakers Wednesday voted to accept an approximately $4,400 pay raise that will increase their salaries to almost $170,000.

The cost-of-living raise gets lawmakers back on track for automatic pay raises after a fight between Democrats and Republicans last year and again in January killed the pay hike due this year. That was the first interruption of the annual congressional pay hike in seven years.

The blowup came after Democrats last year fulfilled a campaign promise to deny themselves a pay hike until Congress raised the minimum wage. Delays in the minimum wage bill cost every lawmaker about $3,100 this year.

On a 244-181 vote Wednesday, Democrats and Republicans alike killed a bid by Reps. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, and Lee Terry, R-Neb., to get a direct vote to block the COLA, which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it. The Senate has not indicated when it will deal with a similar measure.

As part of an ethics reform bill in 1989, Congress gave up its ability to accept pay for speeches and made annual cost-of-living pay increases automatic.
In the early days of GOP control of Congress, lawmakers routinely denied themselves the annual COLA.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., worked to smooth the way for the pay hike.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070628/NATIONWORLD/706280498/-1/LOCAL17

I'm so happy for them....with an approval rating of 14% I hope they all feel good.

Have a good one!:s4:

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

Same thing happening in my province actually. The provincial government just voted themselves a payraise of 29%, with 50% for the premeir. That's such an insult, a total spit in the voters faces, because they've massively cut the payrate of 6 different unions (including teachers and nurses; my mom's actually a nurse). I say they can vote themselves a raise when they can vote their people a raise. It's just sick there's not even a third party to do it, the government actually gets to vote for their own payrate.

[medicinal]

I agree, selfish greed abounds in the halls of congress, in fact, just about everywhere, When CEOs can pay themselves hundreds of millions of dollars while laying off thousands of hourly employees, you gotta know somethings wrong with this picture. Here's my question: when all the middle class is reduced to serfdom, who's gonna buy all the crap?

[Psycho4Bud]

Here's my question: when all the middle class is reduced to serfdom, who's gonna buy all the crap?

I guess us millionaires.......the exchange hit 1250 today ya know. :thumbsup:

Have a good one!:s4:

[Sugarblaster]

I guess us millionaires.......the exchange hit 1250 today ya know. :thumbsup:

Have a good one!:s4:

are you part of that 6% of rich i hear so much about?

[Psycho4Bud]

are you part of that 6% of rich i hear so much about?

Lets just say me and medicinal are working on it........:thumbsup:

Have a good one!:s4:

[rebgirl420]

Wow, yet another slap in the face to the American People. And I was thrilled when I got a dollar raise when I had my summer job last year!

[Psycho4Bud]

Wow, yet another slap in the face to the American People. And I was thrilled when I got a dollar raise when I had my summer job last year!

But you can look yourself in a mirror.....they can't with all good conscience.

Have a good one!:s4:

[rebgirl420]

hahah yeah, a $4,400 dollar mirror haha

[delusionsofNORMALity]

But you can look yourself in a mirror.....they can't with all good conscience.
with all the raises they give themselves, i'm sure they can afford to hire someone to look in the mirror for them. i sure wish i could find a job where i could fail miserably at every turn and not only keep the job, but get a raise as well.

[Psycho4Bud]

i sure wish i could find a job where i could fail miserably at every turn and not only keep the job, but get a raise as well.

I doubt that....by your posts you appear to be a person that has pride. What price tag do ya put on respect? These people may have a high profile position but they have no real respect from anyone.

Have a good one!:s4:

[scottbrochill]

must be nice to just vote yourself a raise.. all in favor..... AYEEEE!!!

[delusionsofNORMALity]

I doubt that....by your posts you appear to be a person that has pride. What price tag do ya put on respect? These people may have a high profile position but they have no real respect from anyone.

Have a good one!:s4:

yeah, but i'd be willing to swallow my pride on a part time basis to rake in some of that nice fat green. i'd have to keep doing what i do now to keep any semblance of self respect, but i'd be willing to work the occasional night shift as a senator.
:S2:

[andruejaysin]

Yeah, how many people wouldn't vote themselves a raise if they could? I'd vote myself a million dollars and laugh my ass off when i got voted out. Early retirement.

[medicinal]

I don't have all the figures, but how many raises have they voted themselves yet failed to raise the minimum wage, rediculous, the only reason we got a minimum raise now is the dems. put it on the war appropriations bill as a rider. Had they not been smart enough to do that, I doubt the repubes would have allowed it to pass and Bush would have vetoed it anyway.

[medicinal]

Lets just say me and medicinal are working on it........:thumbsup:

Have a good one!:s4:

We've got a ways to go Bro. I'm goin on a ten day vacation to the wilds of colorado. When I get back to "civilization", I hope to see 1:1 ~LOL~. I'll tell my boss (my wife), to take a couple a weeks more off and fly to the carribean to shop for my island,~LOL~.