Has the world gone all topsy-turvy? No, sadly just the congressional boobs trying to get in a little good P.R. Would only save 2 million a year. That's a lot against our
staggering deficit ain't it?
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.
Sen. Jon Kyl, a Republican from Arizona who pushed the amendment through the Senate, said of the "symbolic" measure, "It is true that the $2 million this saves, is hardly noticeable in the overall tens of billions that are going to be spent on the Katrina recovery."
So far, Congress has approved $62.3 billion in emergency funds since the late-August destruction in Gulf Coast states caused by Hurricane Katrina.
The Bush administration might ask for tens of billions more in coming days as part of a relief and rebuilding effort that some lawmakers have estimated could hit $200 billion.
Members of the House of Representatives and Senate currently are paid an annual salary of $162,100. Leaders in each chamber receive extra pay, with House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois getting $208,100.
The Senate amendment to cancel next year's pay raise was attached to a fiscal 2006 spending bill funding the Treasury Department and other federal agencies.
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.
Kyl said the vote to kill next year's pay raise for lawmakers will help them "justify reductions in spending in other programs."
The huge hurricane-related costs come as Congress has been under growing pressure to cut U.S. budget deficits, which hit a record $412 billion in fiscal 2004 and are projected to be over $300 billion for at least the six subsequent years.
Those deficits have been compounded by the approximately $300 billion spent so far on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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.