General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsObama Gives Members Of Congress A Pay Raise
Congressmen and senators who make $174,000 a year will see an extra $900 in their annual pay packages before taxes next year. That's an increase of 0.5 percent that will take place after March 27.
Vice President Joe Biden will also see an increase in his pay.
The executive order increasing the pay of members of Congress comes while the White House and Congress push to reach a deal on the so-called fiscal cliff before taxes and deep spending cuts take place on January 1.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/obama-gives-members-of-congress-a-pay-raise
While Republicans blocked the bill proposed by Democrats to raise the minimum wage.
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/12/28/1356701/what-could-have-been-the-most-important-bills-blocked-by-republicans-in-2012/
Copy of the Executive Order http://www.opm.gov/oca/compmemo/2012/2013PAY_Attach.pdf
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)great representation there guys.
DCKit
(18,541 posts)Cat food for everyone.
At least they're equal opportunity (for the working poor and retired).
JI7
(89,250 posts)octoberlib
(14,971 posts)Under current law, pay increases are determined by a cost-of-living formula, and they take effect automatically, unless Congress votes to stop them. And in fact, thats what has happened for the past two years. Congress denied itself any pay raise in 2010 and in 2011. I wish he could hold back the Republicans paychecks.
SidDithers
(44,228 posts)and they take effect automatically"
Didn't you just debunk your own OP?
Isn't that a bit like Mitch McConnell filibustering his own bill?
Sid
Cha
(297,272 posts)pass it on.. but, with a link. Thank you
And, yes it does "debunk" your OP..
Cha
(297,272 posts)zabet
(6,793 posts)Give themselves a raise and let the working people whose taxes pay their salaries go without.....not even cost of living raise. More murdering the middle class.....pretty soon we will be te peasants and the riff-raff controlled by the rich 'royalty' in DC. None of which could live a week on what most people on SS are expected to live on for a month.
Being as their jobs are elected positions.....I think the constituents should deceide whether their congress critter deserves a raise. That might motivate some of them to actually do what they promised to do to get elected.
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)Constituents should be the ones to decide if they get a raise or not.
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)oldbanjo
(690 posts)Skittles
(153,164 posts)world wide wally
(21,744 posts)UnrepentantLiberal
(11,700 posts)Why did Obama do that?
Cha
(297,272 posts)Under current law, pay increases are determined by a cost-of-living formula, and they take effect automatically, unless Congress votes to stop them. And in fact, thats what has happened for the past two years. Congress denied itself any pay raise in 2010 and in 2011.
http://www.factcheck.org/2011/03/congressional-reform-act/
Bohunk68
(1,364 posts)take a look at post #5. This OP should be removed, it's pure BS. PAY RAISES ARE AUTOMATIC.
tjwash
(8,219 posts)And they will happily make up their own facts on the fly to support it.
It is very f-r here at times like that.
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)has been circulating on various boards on the internet, mostly posted by Tea Party enthusiasts.
greatauntoftriplets
(175,742 posts)Of course, the truth doesn't matter much here if the BS can be used to bash President Obama.
NYC Liberal
(20,136 posts)Enrique
(27,461 posts)the article in "the Hill" gives credible information that this Executive Order is needed in order for them to get their raises.
They report that Congress hasn't had a pay increase since 2009. So how can it be automatic?
NYC Liberal
(20,136 posts)zabet
(6,793 posts)...not what you posted. It is wrong that their pay raises are automatic. Where is their performance review from the people they work for...their constituents. Their constituents should be the ones to vote on their congress critter's pay raises....they put that critter there to represent them. If the critter gets a poor review from his/her constituents...they should get no pay raise.
NYC Liberal
(20,136 posts)The 27th Amendment was ratified in 1992. In 1991 they knew that ratification was inevitable, so they passed the bill giving themselves a big raise and enacting automatic COLA adjustments for their pay before it happened. Thus the COLA adjustments were grandfathered in. A court also ruled that the COLA adjustments did not "vary" compensation and that no member of Congress has standing to challenge them.
Oh and the Congressman who brought the lawsuit claiming COLAs were unconstitutional under the then-new 27th Amendment?
A Mr. John Boehner of Ohio
http://openjurist.org/30/f3d/156/boehner-v-k-anderson-s-j
zabet
(6,793 posts)The for the info and the link! Much appreciated. If their COLA is basically a 'given'......it should be a 'given' that minimum wage needs to go up since the cost of living is going up. Oops.....for a moment there I was dreaming that the workers were entitled to those types of 'perks'.....like raising minimum wage. I guess the cost of living never goes up for us po' folk.
NYC Liberal
(20,136 posts)I agree with you.
ProfessionalLeftist
(4,982 posts)...they decide to actually DO. SOME. WORK.
zabet
(6,793 posts)datasuspect
(26,591 posts)i suppose.
have any of you actually worked with candidates or politicians?
THEY AREN'T HUMAN.
they are all, to a man or woman, insanely driven sociopathic monsters.
NutmegYankee
(16,199 posts)What Congress did was tie their cost of living increase to that which the president was given the authority to give to the civil servants serving the executive branch. And the executive branch employees deserve far more of a cost of living increase.
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)so sick and tired of the obvious agenda and the steaming pile constantly presented to DU.
Almost as sick and tired of the knee jerk reactions that want so badly to "believe everything they read on the internet", they jump into the steaming pile without fact checking.
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)Robb
(39,665 posts)...that the raise is being paid entirely in ground up puppies, killed by POTUS himself.
Buzz Clik
(38,437 posts)yummie!
AndyA
(16,993 posts)I think their constituents should decide if they get raises or not. If times are bad, unemployment is up, etc., constituents should be able to vote for a pay cut for Congress. If it's not enough, fine. Don't run for office again. I'm sure there are people out there willing to do this job for less money, and quite likely they'd do a better job.
I'm sick and tired of millionaires in Congress making decisions that they know nothing about. None of them know what it's like to live on minimum wage, yet they continue to ignore the fact that minimum wage hasn't kept up with the cost of living in decades.
F 'em.
tavernier
(12,389 posts)and then it might go something like this...
Alex, good job this year. You deserve a raise.
Bill... sorry, pal... I've been monitoring your hours. Try harder next year.
Cheryl, over the top! Six new bills and burning the midnight oil! A raise.
Doug... what can I say? You owe the taxpayers 178,000 bucks.
Isn't that what the boss should do?
octoberlib
(14,971 posts)democrattotheend
(11,605 posts)Since their pay has been frozen for 2 years. But I doubt most members of Congress really need it.
DearHeart
(692 posts)are just about to become HOMELESS!!!
Smile47
(3 posts)Even though this is a small increase, we cannot allow this to happen because it is essentially reinforcing Congress' unacceptable behavior. Let's show Congress that we do not approve their unwillingness to put the American people's interests ahead of their party's interests. We're tired of Congress' lack of accountability and irresponsibility. Click to take action, then share widely!
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Ask_President_Obama_to_annul_his_executive_order_that_gave_Congress_unjust_pay_raises/?wKpJndb