Democrats Will Try to Block Pay Raise

[Judi Lynn]

Dec 7, 5:48 PM EST

Democrats Will Try to Block Pay Raise

By DAVID ESPO
AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Members of Congress are in line for a $3,300 pay raise effective Jan. 1 unless they block it, and Democrats said Thursday they intend to try.

Officials said Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California and Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the party's leaders, had notified Republicans they will try to add the anti-pay-raise provision to a bill that provides funds for most government agencies through Feb. 15.

Congress must pass the funding bill before it adjourns for the year, and the target for that is Friday.

Democrats won control of Congress in last month's elections after a campaign in which they frequently criticized majority Republicans for taking pay raises while blocking numerous attempts to raise the minimum wage.

"It is unconscionable that members of congress would get yet another pay raise while the minimum wage has been stuck at $5.15 an hour for the last 10 years. Senator Reid intends to do all he can to ensure that Congress won't get a raise until working families do," said his spokesman, Jim Manley.
(snip/...)

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_PAY_RAISE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-12-07-17-48-15

[Hosnon]

1. I mean, seriously, are they trying to make us like them or something?

:crazy:

[wicket]

35. LOL

:rofl:

[superconnected]

2. Actually this is very good news

Hopefully this congress will have a spine and will not be overcome with self greed.

[silverweb]

3. Good.

That's the very least they should do.

[Jon8503]

4. Ya, good move on this - N/T. (kick).

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

5. How Un-American Of Them

Are these guys crazy? How dare they deprive the repubs of their hard earned raise.

The repubs in Congress are not going to like this too much. I'd guess some of the Dems won't be too thrilled either.

How dare they have respect for the people. Who gave them that right? Oh yeah....WE DID, a few weeks ago.

[drm604]

15. Yea!

Those Congresspeople work so hard. They deserve this. They have to work nearly 3 days a week! :sarcasm:

[Quantess]

16. Kingston, Virginia - R, is grumpy about the idea of working 5 days a week.

He says Dems don't care whether he gets to spend time with his family, having to work 5 whole days a week and all, and it's proof Dems don't care about family. :nopity:

[Kber]

30. He lives in Virginia?

How many people in VA comute to DC 5 days a week, so you supose?

[caledesi]

37. I will bet the troops in Iraq feel your pain, Mr. Kingston.

:sarcasm: :nopity:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

6. It's a $33 an hour raise. They only worked a 100 hours this year. nt

[humbled_opinion]

7. You see she (Madam Speaker) gets it !! n/t

[TheFarseer]

9. If they figured out a way to reduce the deficit

and not just with tricky accounting, then they would get it.

[silverojo]

22. I was just thinking that, myself!

Go, Nancy!!

[TheFarseer]

8. This reminds me of the CEOs

that drive the company into bankruptcy voting themselves a huge bonus. No more raises for Congress until they get us out of debt, or at least until we balance the budget.

[Katzenjammer]

38. No, there should be a pay DECREASE every year til they straighten everything out

They're already being paid at the "nobility" level. Top 5% at worst, maybe top 2% with all their perqs. So I say decrease their pay 10% the first year, 20% the second, 40% the third, and 80% the fourth. If they don't want to live on so little, they can go find other work.

[tom_paine]

10. Not only morally righteous, but also politically savvy

A winner all 'round.

I like what I am seeing here early on.

[liberal N proud]

11. Politicians NOT taking the money?

Can't be, no, just can't be, this is America, land of plenty for those who have managed to get into a public office or land in the CEO chair. They just couldn't do something that didn't increase their profits. Tell me this isn't true that they will take that pay raise and line their velvet pockets with more green than the many a person can make in a life time. They just must relieve us of that sinful cash, take the burden for us and live high on the land.

:sarcasm:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

12. Sen. Claire McCaskill has pledged not to accept the pay raise

It was one of her campaign promises-she wouldn't take a pay raise until the minimum wage was raised. Wonder how many Senators will do that.

[Lifelong Protester]

17. good point

even if the raise goes through, they can send that portion back.

It's about time people in that domed edifice tried to live like the rest of us.

[TheMadMonk]

23. Somebody tried that here in Aust IIRC.

And they were told that they couldn't. Don't recall the final outcome. The sensible thing would have been donate it to a worthy charity, very publicly. Which the Dems should also do en mass if they can't block this.

[lumberjack_jeff]

13. In a year, maybe they can prove that they've earned it.

Congress' performance in the last year did not justify any raise. A good case can be made that the last year didn't justify taking a salary.

[crispini]

14. YAY! That's our Democrats!

Wow, it's so nice to enjoy the news out of Washington for a change!

[lonestarnot]

18. They better more than try!

[Voltaire99]

27. Yes, wtf is this "try" business?

Honest, we'll try not to give ourselves a raise.

Um, majority, people.

[Kber]

34. Get's voted on before we assume majority status I think

[MannyGoldstein]

19. Congressional Pay Should Be Tied to Median 40-Hour-A-Week Income

This would properly align incentives.

[TheMadMonk]

25. Mean, not median.

Median is the top wage + bottom wage / 2.

The mean is the sum of all wages / working population.

Roughly speaking.

[MannyGoldstein]

28. Check The Dictionary

I believe that median is the amount that half the population makes more than, half make less than.

[TheMadMonk]

36. whoopsie. That's what you get for relying on a 20 yr old memory.

nt

[jwirr]

20. I have referred to this pay hike in the past because seniors &

persons who receive SSI also get this cola. HOWEVER, those of us who are poorest do not get to keep ours. The minute the cola is allotted the medicaid premium goes up and housing costs go up so that these two groups seldom see a real raise.

PLEASE block the senate/scotus/top government employees from getting their raise. They have been using the "needy" to justify the raise for years now. It needs to stop.

[Zhade]

21. ...but vote FOR the Iran-Contra criminal Gates.

Yeah, they've got their priorities straight.

(Look, before anyone throws bullshit rationalizations at me - they didn't have to vote FOR the guy. They could have, you know, asked hard questions and voted against him, even if they'd lose the vote.)

[saigon68]

24. Right On

They gave the Iran-Contra criminal a pass

[truthisfreedom]

26. $3300 annual pay raise for full time=+$1.65 per hour full time.

either give it to the laborers or don't take it. period.

[boobooday]

29. The GOP congressmen should work for minimum wage

and be paid by the hour.

Making license plates.

In prison.

[vssmith]

31. I have a quite different idea (flame on)

I would like to see members of Congress get double the pay they presently recieve. Tied to that I want to see an absolute prohibition on gifts, dinners, trips, golf etc from any lobbyists or any other supporters of any kind.

[Larry Allen]

32. That would be fine ...

That would be fine if congressional pay were tied to the minimum wage as I have proposed. At 12 times the minimum wage, the proposed congressional salery would require an IMMEDIATE raise in the minimum wage to $7.02 per hour.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

33. go dems!

[Ishoutandscream2]

39. Very, very smart.

See, we're NOT the party that wants to spend, spend, spend. That label belongs to the Republicans.