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Return to Article: Senators vote not to take pay raise

• 52852
  

  Look in the mirror and ask...am I really looking out for the people of this land. Am I really looking out for the people or just my retirement. What you do in this life...is what your soul does in the after life. NO MORE RISES!!!

  Timothy Dowd Posted June 21, 2008 10:04 AM
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  Congress' salary not objectionable. Retirement package should be under Social Security like everyone else.

  Betty Nichol Posted April 20, 2007 10:42 AM
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  Senators are overworked and underpaid. These guys are like CEOs, in terms of the nature of their work. We masses may think that 160(k) is good money, but it doesn't go very far in D.C.

  GovExec.com reader Posted February 13, 2007 10:54 AM
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  If I made $162,100 (current Senate salary) I could forgo a raise this year, too, without much hardship.

  ironroom Posted November 1, 2005 3:29 PM
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  What happened to them working for the people? Why do we let them give themselves pay raises? One term in office and they get retirement for life. For life! What is up with that? We voted them into office. What a mistake that was, we put the rope around our own necks by electing Republicans.

  Jane Lobato Posted October 29, 2005 5:58 PM
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  Why doesn't the article include a list of how the Senators voted? I would think that would be very relevant information.

  GovExec.com reader Posted October 25, 2005 2:24 PM
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  This is a follow up to the 2nd prior posting on the math. A Senator's salary is just under $160,000 a year. The majority and minority leader make $175,600 per year. The total salary for the Senate would be $16 million per year, not counting the somewhat higher salary of the majority and minority leaders. Foregoing a 2 percent raise would save only $320,000. Could Senator Kyl please explain how he arrives at a savings of $2 million?? If this is congressional mathematics then no wonder we have $400 billion deficits every year and a national debt of, what now, $8 trillion??

  GovExec.com reader Posted October 24, 2005 4:17 PM
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  From senate.gov, here is the list of nays and non-voters on S.Amdt. 2062 to H.R. 3058, titled "To provide that Members of Congress shall not receive a cost-of-living adjustment in pay during fiscal year 2006."

  NAYs ---6
  Bingaman (D-NM)
  Bond (R-MO)
  Inouye (D-HI)
  Jeffords (I-VT)
  Lugar (R-IN)
  Sarbanes (D-MD)

  Not Voting - 2
  Chambliss (R-GA)
  Corzine (D-NJ)
  

  Also from senate.gov, in 2005 our senators each earn $162,100 per annum. The $2 million comes in because the bill is for all of Members of Congress. A similar bill has been introduced in the House as H. R. 4047. Glad to see neither of my senators on there.

  GovExec.com reader Posted October 21, 2005 3:37 PM
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  Here we go folks. The Senate passed the bill, however, it is just one part of Congress. What about the House? Is it going to do the same thing?

  I would say the House has earned its pay raise (chuckle chuckle). You remember how it passes automatically if they don't vote on it. Don't we all wish our pay raise came automatically unless we decided to vote on it.

  At the end of the year both parts of the Congress will get their pay raises. The rest of the federal workers will be waiting to see if they will get a raise that does not keep up with inflation.

  Same stuff, different year.

  rds Posted October 21, 2005 1:58 PM
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  Would Government Executive please publish the names of the six poor senators?? This appears to be important to everyone. Also what's G Whiz Bush going to do about repealing that humongous tax break for his richest buddies?? Are they going to chip in a little also?? God help us !!

  Old Grunt Posted October 21, 2005 6:53 AM
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  Two questions please. (1) Who were the six who voted for the raise in COLA? I hope they are the "poorest" of the 100. (2) Can we make this a permanent thing until the rest of us catch up? Overtaxed.

  GovExec.com reader Posted October 19, 2005 12:52 PM
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  A little math on this story. Since there are 100 senators, a savings of $2 million means each of them would have gotten a raise of $20,000. Treating this as a 2 percent raise to make the math simpler, this means each senator is being paid about $20,000 times 50, or one million dollars a year! Now, I don't think either of my senators is worth nearly that much!

  And keep in mind, six of these millionaires voted to keep their raises!

  GovExec.com reader Posted October 19, 2005 11:21 AM
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  So, who were the six (multi-millionaire) senators who voted for the pay raise? Stand and be counted.

  Reminds me of the Simpson's episode, Lisa Goes to Washington:

  A Senator, on the bill to expel Senator Bob Arnold from the Senate: "I'm all for this bill, but shouldn't we tack on a pay raise for ourselves?"

  Mac Posted October 19, 2005 9:56 AM
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  How big of the Senators. I am going to see if my senators were part of the six who voted to get a raise. I guess they may be beginning to realize what a financial mess they have created.

  DLA - TEXAS Posted October 19, 2005 8:14 AM
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  These senators do have some semblance of sanity. If they want to impress me, they should take pay cuts due to the shoddy laws they've at the expense of average U.S. citizens.

  GovExec.com reader Posted October 18, 2005 9:19 PM