Congress Giving Itself a Raise
December 21st, 2008The one thing we can always count on Congress accomplishing is to enrich themselves at our country’s expense. We see it with still-legal special interest donations, illegal favors such as house renovations for convicted Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, and of course the yearly Congressional pay raise.
While Americans struggle with the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, Congressional members are getting a raise. Each member will receive a $4,700 cost-of-living salary increase starting in January, which will cost taxpayers another $2.5 million in 2009. But with Congress throwing away trillions of dollars in bailouts, who cares about a few million dollars?
“Members of Congress don’t deserve one additional dime of taxpayer money in 2009,” said Tom Schatz, president of the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste. “While thousands of Americans are facing layoffs and downsizing, Congress should be mortified to accept a raise,” he said in a written statement.
Members of Congress have an average annual salary of $169,300. Congressional leaders make slightly more. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi makes $217,400, while House and Senate majority and minority leaders each make $188,100. The raise will increase the average salary to about $174,000, up 2.8 percent.
