(DailyAnswer.org) – Late Tuesday night, Congress unveiled a 1,547-page spending bill that includes a surprise perk: a pay raise for lawmakers. The bill, called a continuing resolution (CR), was released just days before a looming government shutdown. Hidden in the fine print is the removal of a long-standing rule that blocks automatic salary increases for members of Congress.
Since 2009, Congress has included language in spending bills to block automatic raises, but that safeguard is now gone. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), a top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, explained earlier this year that without this block, pay raises—officially called “Cost-of-Living Adjustments” (COLAs)—happen automatically. “Let’s be clear,” she said, “a COLA is a pay increase for Congress.”
Congress has a history of using last-minute spending bills to slip in controversial perks. For example, in 2022, lawmakers approved reimbursements for living expenses in Washington, DC, including lodging, food, and travel. This allowed members to claim up to $34,000 in expenses in addition to their annual salaries.
Currently, most members of Congress earn $174,000 per year, while those in leadership roles make even more. The Speaker of the House earns $223,500 annually, and the Senate president pro tempore earns $193,400. With the new rule change, pay increases will now be tied to changes in the government’s Employment Cost Index. Unless Congress actively blocks it, the adjustment will happen every year.
The House is set to vote on the CR by Friday, after which it will move to the Senate and then to President Biden’s desk. However, the timing and content of the bill have drawn criticism from Republicans, who argue that it was rushed and lacks transparency. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who negotiated the deal for the GOP, faces backlash from within his party.
Public opinion isn’t on Congress’s side either. According to Gallup, Congress’s approval ratings consistently hover in the teens. Whether this pay raise will affect support for the deal remains to be seen, but it adds another layer of controversy to an already tense negotiation process.
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