Just kidding. In fact, they are pretty much letting the legislation die on the vine
Ann Kirkpatrick wants a pay cut and she’s getting testy about having to wait so long to get it.
Last March, U.S. Rep. Kirkpatrick sponsored legislation to cut congressional salaries a modest 5%, saying it was high time that Congress shared the pain with the rest of America. As U.S. workers have suffered layoffs, pay cuts and furloughs over the past two years, Congress has actually been spending more money than ever. In fact, if it hadn’t been for another bill that Kirkpatrick supported, Kirkpatrick and her colleagues in the U.S. legislature would have gotten automatic pay raises this year, as they did in 2008 and 2009.
As things stand, members of Congress set their own pay and they’ve been quite generous. Rank and file members of congress now earn $174,000 annually — more than about 97% of the rest of the country. That’s up 23% over the past decade.
So what’s the hold up in cutting Congressional pay? Congress, of course.
Members of Congress are doing what they always do when there is a popular bill that they want to kill. They’re ignoring it. That allows the bill to die quietly of neglect.
Imagine if you will that Congress and the White House were owned by Republicans. Think this would be a lead story, with Fish Wrap columnists chiming in about how mean Republicans are during a time of economic hardship? Instead, you have Paul Krugman whining like a little Democratic Undergrounder
Next week, President Obama is scheduled to propose new measures to boost the economy. I hope they’re bold and substantive, since the Republicans will oppose him regardless — if he came out for motherhood, the G.O.P. would declare motherhood un-American. So he should put them on the spot for standing in the way of real action.
Someone get Paul a waaaaaah-mbulance!
True Conservatives would repeal that rule that makes their pay raises automatic. Then revert their pay to 150% of the average salary of the US workforce.