Madam President, over the years, Members of Congress have had a lot of perks, but one of them stands out; that is, the ability to raise their own pay. Not many Americans have the power to give…
Madam President, over the years, Members of Congress have had a lot of perks, but one of them stands out; that is, the ability to raise their own pay. Not many Americans have the power to give themselves a raise whenever they want, no matter how they are performing. To make it worse, Members do not even have to vote on this pay raise. Congress has set up a system whereby every year Members automatically get a pay raise. No one has to lift a finger.
I do not take these pay raises, and I have been fighting for years to pass my bill to end this cozy system. Thanks to the majority leader, we took an important step last year when the Senate passed legislation to end automatic annual pay raises for Members of Congress. Unfortunately, the leadership of the other body has, so far, refused to take up that bill.
Well, I am going to keep fighting to pass it, but there is another step we can take in the meantime; that is, to make sure we do not get a pay raise next year. We already enacted legislation to block a pay raise this year, and now we have to do the same thing for 2011. With so many Americans looking for jobs and trying to figure out how to pay their bills, now is no time to give ourselves a taxpayer-funded $1,600 pay increase.
I have a bill to block the scheduled 2011 pay raise.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that Senators Burr, Vitter, Bennet, Lincoln, Grassley, McCaskill, Begich, and McCain all be added as cosponsors to the bill.
Madam President, I also ask unanimous consent that Senator Whitehouse be added as a cosponsor to the bill.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 3244, a bill to prohibit a cost-of-living adjustment for Members of Congress in 2011; that the bill be read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from Vermont, Mr. Leahy, be added as a cosponsor to the bill.
Madam President, I renew my request.
Madam President, I thank the Chair, and I will be urging the other body to pass this bill as soon as possible and send it to the President. I will keep fighting so that in the future the burden will be on those who want a pay raise--not on those who want to block one--to pass legislation.
I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
