House votes to give itself pay raise

[Banana]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- With little debate, House lawmakers on Tuesday included themselves as part of a pay raise that all federal employees will receive next year.

The cost-of-living raise would be the sixth straight for members of the House and Senate, boosting the salaries of lawmakers, now $158,100, by about $4,000 in the new calendar year.

The civil servant COLA is part of an $89.9 billion Transportation and Treasury Department spending bill that the House is expected to pass Wednesday. The Senate has yet to take up the legislation.

The measure stipulates that civil servants get raises of 3.5 percent, the same as military personnel will receive next year. Under a complicated formula, that translates to 2.5 percent for members of Congress.

Like last year, the only House member to speak out against the automatic raise was Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah. "Now is not the time for members of Congress to be voting themselves a pay raise," he said. "Let us send a signal to the American people that we recognize their struggle in America's economy."

But by a 235-170 vote, the House rejected Matheson's procedural attempt to get a direct vote on the pay raise. In 1989, Congress decided to make annual cost-of-living pay increases automatic unless the lawmakers voted otherwise.

The pay raise would also apply to the vice president -- who is president of the Senate -- congressional leaders and Supreme Court justices.

This year, Vice President Cheney, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Chief Justice William Rehnquist receive $203,000. Associate justices get $194,300 and House and Senate party leaders get $175,700.

President Bush's salary of $400,000 is unaffected by the legislation.

If I recall correctly, these positions weren't supposed to be full time jobs nor are you supposed to make a living off of it.

[SunWuKong]

i don't understand why they need $162K a year. a family of 4 could live on half of that.

[Banana]

You questioned our motives! You're in the bed with terrorists! Hire Malkin so we can lynch him!

[Yeahman]

The House didn't vote to give itself a pay raise. The raise for all federal employees is automatic unless a direct vote is sought.

[truMp]

^ that's how I thought it was.

[mndeg]

wow bush makes 400k, i thought presidents made 200k a year
they get free food and stuff too

[Cipherous]

Originally Posted by SunWuKong

i don't understand why they need $162K a year. a family of 4 could live on half of that.

very very well off 162K

a very big house with a BMW for everybody

[Beat180]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...ay-raise_x.htm

They did vote to have themselves included in the pay raise. Equal amounts of democrats and republicans supporting it. What other issue could possibly get such bi-partisan support? Seriously though, if I could vote to give myself a raise, shit why not. More money in my hands. Then again I'm not rich like politicians who can afford to not get an extra 4k/yr. Jackasses...

[Yeahman]

Congresspersons are already included in the federal employee pay raise. They voted to stop Matheson's attempt to have a seperate direct vote on their raise. It was a procedural vote.

[SunWuKong]

Originally Posted by ye110man

Congresspersons are already included in the federal employee pay raise. They voted to stop Matheson's attempt to have a seperate direct vote on their raise. It was a procedural vote.

yeah. a difference of technicality, basically. i doubt they were going to vote to actually have a direct vote on their raise, and then vote to actually have the raise. it would have been less time and effort to just vote not to have a direct vote challenging the automatic pay raise.