House Rejects Effort to Block $3,100 Pay Raise for Itself

[mom cat]

House Rejects Effort to Block $3,100 Pay Raise for Itself

By Andrew Taylor Associated Press Writer
Published: Jun 28, 2005



http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBJUJJOIAE.html


WASHINGTON (AP) - The House on Tuesday agreed to a $3,100 pay raise for Congress next year - to $165,200 - after defeating an effort to roll it back.
In a 263-152 vote, the House blocked a bid by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to force an up-or-down vote on the pay raise. Instead, lawmakers will automatically receive the raise - officially a cost of living adjustment - as provided for in a 1989 law that barred them from pocketing big speaking fees in exchange for an annual COLA.

Matheson was the only one of 434 House members to speak out against the 1.9 percent COLA, which will raise members' salaries in January.

"Now is not the time for members of Congress to be voting themselves a pay raise. We need to be willing to make sacrifices," he said.

[WhiteTara]

1. we all know that kick backs aren't what they used to be

and now they need our help. WOw. Just think, it only takes taxes from a few low income workers to make up for the egregious actions by some lousy lawyers trying to take the perks away. Tom Delay needs more money for HIS lawyers.
:grr:

[acmejack]

2. Economy there is doing just fine!

Maybe a few will find out how it is doing back home next year, when their constituency fires their sorry GOP asses.

[Dr.Phool]

3. How much is that in raises for them

Since the last time they raised the minimum wage?

[UpInArms]

8. here's the minimum wage since 1989

http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/coverage.htm

The 1989 amendments established a single annual dollar volume test of $500,000 for enterprise coverage of both retail and no retail businesses. At the same time, the amendments eliminated the minimum wage and overtime pay exemption for small retail firms. Thus, employees of small retail businesses became subject to minimum wage and overtime pay in any workweek in which they engage in commerce or the production of goods for commerce. The minimum wage was raised to $3.80 an hour beginning April 1, 1990, and to $4.25 an hour beginning April 1, 1991. The amendments also established a training wage provision (at 85% of the minimum wage, but not less than $3.35 an hour) for employees under the age of twenty, a provision that expired in 1993. Finally, the amendments established an overtime exception for time spent by employees in remedial education and civil money penalties for willful or repeated violations of the minimum wage or overtime pay requirements of the law.

In 1990, Congress enacted legislation requiring regulations to be issued providing a special overtime exemption for certain highly skilled professionals in the computer field who receive not less than 6 and one-half times the applicable minimum wage.

The 1996 amendments increased the minimum wage to $4.75 an hour on October 1, 1996, and to $5.15 an hour on September 1, 1997. The amendments also established a youth sub minimum wage of $4.25 an hour for newly hired employees under age 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days after being hired by their employer; revised the tip credit provisions to allow employers to pay qualifying tipped employees no less than $2.13 per hour if they received the remainder of the statutory minimum wage in tips; set the hourly compensation test for qualifying computer related professional employees at $27.63 an hour; and amended the Portal-to-Portal Act to allow employers and employees to agree on the use of employer provided vehicles for commuting to and from work, at the beginning and end of the work day, without counting the commuting time as compensable working time if certain conditions are met.

here's a chart on congressional salaries:

[struggle4progress]

13. If they actually worked 40 hour weeks, this would be a $1.50/hr raise.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

4. Even more proof that our "government" is completely disconnected....

...from the citizens of the US.

[phantom power]

5. I've always wondered why salaries aren't at the discretion of constituents

I mean, we're the ones who pay their salary, why don't we get to vote on whether we think they deserve the raise?

I sure wish I could get some of that action. I'd vote myself a pay-raise every year, too.

[katty]

6. Must be nice to give yourself a raise on the backs of taxpayers

they're disgusting

[catnhatnh]

7. Have you at last , Sirs....

...no sense of decency? This year we announce 100's of thousands of middle class layoffs, knowing any replacements will be benifitless near minimum wage jobs. We debate our ability to deliver ANY healthcare and our inability to deliver a yearly 12K stipend to seniors at the end of a full working life or those crippled to feed your industrial machine...Have you at long last Sirs, no sense of decency???

[MichiganVote]

9. Vote them all out. They are working for themselves, not us

[Renew Deal]

10. Raises for these scumbags, but no minimum wage increase.

That's telling.

[Renew Deal]

11. Anyone got the vote totals?

[struggle4progress]

12. Congress -- cutting programs to raise money to increase their own pay!

[UpInArms]

14. a minor mathematical exercise

435 congressional representatives
100 senators

535 total at $3,100 per year increase

$1,658,500 increase only

total salary now at $165,200

535 times

$88,382,000

This does not include their per diem, their staff, their health benefits or their retirement accounts.

This does not include the massive staff at the White House.

Does anyone else see something wrong with this picture?

[Rose Siding]

15. "It's not a pay raise," said Tom DeLay...

"It's not a pay raise," said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. "It's an adjustment so that they're not losing their purchasing power."

More cake, please.

[rodeodance]

16. they get the raise to pay for increase energy costs --we do not.