Congressional members receive a 2009 salary increase

Posted by LegiStorm on Thursday, January 08, 2009
Members of Congress will receive an annual salary increase of $4,700 for 2009 as a result of an automatic cost of living allowance that took effect on January 1, raising the default annual member salary to $174,000. A handful of the House and Senate's top leaders make even more than that.

Though congressional pay increases are rarely popular, the 2.8% increase in 2009 has come under fire from some critics who note that many constituents across the country face wage freezes, job losses and general financial despair as the year begins.The critics include such groups as Citizens Against Government Waste and the National Taxpayers Union.

Since the Ethics Reform Act of 1989, member salary increases are made based on a cost-of-living allowance that is granted automatically at the beginning of each calendar year. This practice means that Congress would have to actively take up the issue on the floor to vote to decline the pay increase, leaving a voting record come re-election time.  

We have long showed users what members of Congress earn on member salary pages such as this one for Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). Today we have also added a new page about the recent history of member salary increases and about member salaries here.

 

 

posted in House ethics rules, congressional staff salaries, members of Congress
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8 comments so far

Posted by anonymous on 02/19/2009 09:14 AM EST
Lawmakers had no problem taking to task the CEO's of the auto companies for their excessive pay and fringe packages, and then quietly accept a cost of living increase on their minimum salaries of $174,000. They have better health insurance than the majority of their constituents, and a pension plan that nobody else except CEOs have. They have no clue - none whatsoever- of what we are going through in the real world. That's because they're spending someone else's money - ours. So the concept of fiscal responsibility is totally foreign to them, just like the CEOs. They are in a class by themselves and they have no intention of leaving that class.
Posted by Doug on 02/10/2009 11:43 AM EST
It is not only the salaries that are scandalous, the basic decision making process revolving around the question "How does this legislation help MY constituents?" leads inexorably to pork barrel spending of unparalleled proportions. This question needs to be replaced with the more altruistic and idealistic question "Will this legislation help ANYONE'S constituents?" or "Will this legislation help the country in general?" Congress is essentially selfish because WE are selfish. We cannot simply expect change, we must first demonstrate change.
Posted by Paulette on 02/09/2009 01:53 PM EST
It is totally wrong that congress members voted themselves a raise in light of what is going on with the economy. There are millions who have lost jobs, homes and their way of life. It is unethical to think they deserve a raise when many individuals will not see raises this year and some have been asked to take a lesser salary to keep their job. What are they thinking????
Posted by Raymond Clagnan on 02/06/2009 01:16 PM EST
I think it is a crime that they gave themselves raises. How dare they when all of the rest of us are barley making it. I, for the first time, think feel that if congress does not do right by the people they should all be held accountable and impeached!!!
Posted by eljay on 01/18/2009 05:16 PM EST
Can't blame them? Congress is the entity that got us into this terrible mess in the first place. First they did away with usury laws, then they did away with regulatory laws. Now, instead of really trying to take care of everyday Americans, they give billions away to the rich guys. If they had taken that 700 billion and given it out to every man, woman and child in the nation, all 304 millions of us, this would have come to over 2,300 per person. With most families having four people in their family, this would come to over 9,000 dollars each family. Don't you think this would have helped a lot of people keep their houses? And what about the greedy mortgage companies? If they really tried to work with people, they could have stopped almost all of the foreclosures and bankruptcies, just by dropping the interest for a certain period of time. I do blame Congress for many problems, because they can't control their corrupt human nature.
Posted by Dave on 01/16/2009 03:17 PM EST
The point is while Congress is asking Americans across the nation to tighten their belts just a little more and work any job they can get their hands on, that they understand out suffering and what it means to truly live pay check to pay check. While they increase benefits for those who don't work and tax us more. They are making an amazing 174,000 per year (conveniently under the 200,000 mark for tax increase ?) Plus they have receive a increase 8 times in the last 10 years. Only twice have they voted against it. Then they tell us and corporate America to make concessions. It's called utter hypocrisy. Welcome to the new America we are screwed for years to come.
Posted by justspoutingoff on 01/10/2009 05:39 AM EST
The bad rap is well earned. You cannot solely blame Congress for the corruption etc... It starts at the local level, with it seemingly being common-place anymore. "Nature" gave them something good, its what we as a nation have allowed that to become is the problem. We need to get back to the basics of politics, like our forefathers intended it to be. The Constitution means nothing anymore. What it stands for has been trampled and manipulated so much the essence is lost. What a shame for this country.
Posted by anonymous on 01/08/2009 09:20 PM EST
This is a great, pithy insight. I think members of Congress get a bad rap because of all the corruption and what not. They're just trying to do the best with what nature gave them, so I can't blame them all that much.
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