U.S. Senate votes to kill Congress' 2006 pay raise

[Sapphire Blue]

U.S. Senate votes to kill Congress' 2006 pay raise
18 Oct 2005 17:45:44 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted to kill next year's $3,100 automatic pay raise for members of Congress in a symbolic gesture as lawmakers debate cutting health care and other programs for the poor to pay for some hurricane relief costs.

By a vote of 92-6, the Senate approved the amendment that would stop the pay raise that the 535 members of Congress award themselves every January. The fate of the legislation in the House of Representatives is uncertain.

<snip>

Republican conservatives in Congress have been pushing for a new round of spending cuts to domestic programs to help pay for hurricane costs.

Medicare and Medicaid, the federal health care programs for the elderly and poor, have been considered for reductions in growth. Republicans also have talked about cutting food stamps, student loans and other programs that help the poor and middle class.

Continued @ http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N18690318.htm

Have you called Congress today?: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5092529

Toll free numbers:

1-800-426-8073
1-800-393-1082

[hatrack]

1. Not to worry! They'll find a budget bill to slip it in!

So that our poor, poor oppressed members of Congress can somehow get through another busy, busy day!

:puke:

[Oreo]

2. So who were the six?

Wasn't that the same number that voted for torture a couple weeks ago?
I wonder if they're the same ones.

Sen. Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, said of Congress' annual automatic pay raise, "I think it's offensive, I think it's wrong and I think it may also be unconstitutional." Feingold has introduced legislation that would end the automatic pay raise, which saves lawmakers the politically embarrassing task of voting salary increases.

[tritsofme]

4. 3Ds 2Rs 1Ind

NAYS-6

Bingaman (D-NM)
Bond (R-MO)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Lugar (R-IN)
Sarbanes (D-MD)

http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00256

[yorkiemommie1]

8. i'm going to write to Inouye

that ticks me off!

[Renew Deal]

9. Why are Democrats doing dumb shit?

Really now, do they need the money that bad? They knew the vote was a loser.

[yorkiemommie1]

11. inouye must have enough $$

i just do not understand this vote!

also do not understand neil abercrombie's ( rep. HI ) vote to water down the endangered species act.

just so disappointed w/ the people from my home state.

[shoelace414]

3. don;t worry about it

it will never come up in the House. therfore.. the pay raise will go through.

[SoCalDem]

5. Chump change

They make their 'real money" with the "sideways" deals for thei wives, grown kids and for when they take their sweetheart jobs on boards of directors of their donors' corporations, later on.

[klook]

6. So now they'll have no guilt

as they give more tax breaks to the wealthiest citizens and multinational corporations, slash benefits and protections for working and poor Americans, and allow the corporate lobbyists who pay for their campaigns write our laws.

And I guess if the poor Senators can suck it up, minimum-wage workers without health insurance should quit their whining!

[graywarrior]

7. We're supposed to fall for that?

Shit, I have to list every godammn expense, submit all my bank records for the past year, explain every cent I spent to a court trustee so I can get through chapter 7 because CC's would not talk to me and I should care about Congresses pay raise that they'll get anyway?

Fuck them.

After I get chapter 7, I'm going underground.

[Metta]

10. A hollow gesture

marginalized by the sum of their giveaways to their multiplied by their wanting us to believe that by refusing their pay raises they are taking a *real* step towards action and actually helping anyone.