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CounterPunch
August
24, 2002
Congressional
Pay Raise Scam
Stealth Attack
by Ralph Nader
There are times when comparisons matter a lot.
Just compare Congress and its self-voted forthcoming salary increase
from $150,000 to $155,000 a year with the federal minimum of
$5.15 per hour that Congress has frozen for years.
Since 1989, members of Congress have
granted themselves a total of $60,500 in raises. This is much
more than keeping up with inflation, in addition to their very
generous pensions, health and life insurance, housing deduction
and assorted perks. The federal minimum wage, by contrast, is
lagging severely behind inflation. Had Congress kept the minimum
wage at the same purchasing power as it was in 1968, it now would
be $7.50 per hour.
 Millions of Americans are working today for wages
that buy far less livelihood than minimum wage workers bought
in 1968. During this time the economy has doubled in real GDP
per capita.
The failure of our economy to provide
for working families is in part a failure of Congress, the White
House and their surrender to business lobbyists whose prices
certainly have not stagnated and whose executive compensation
has soared.
The moral authority of Congress to govern
reflects itself to many citizens by the way the legislators handle
their pay. The Congress has been handling it very poorly. Thirty
or even twenty years ago, Congressional Committees would hold
public hearings and conduct public floor debates on increasing
the legislators' pay. Members of the House and Senate used to
have to stand up and vote one way or the other. There was intense
talk radio and other media interest in this character examination.
But, being a law unto themselves, Congress
changed the rules. No more public hearings. Doing nothing gets
them more money. For there is an automatic COLA inserted into
a much larger appropriations bill for the Treasury Department.
To get a floor debate and a roll call vote requires a proposed
amendment and that may not be allowed on the floor by the intricate
rules of the House. Nice immunity from the American people who
pay those salaries, eh?
Over at the Senate, Senator Russ Feingold
(Dem. Wisconsin) has vowed to force a vote up or down on the
floor next month. Last year, he lost such an effort, but garnered
a total of 33 Senators voting against that year's pay grab.
The majority in the Senate, including
the leadership, Democrat Tom Daschle and Republican Trent Lott,
not only voted for their salary increase but were downright smug
and patronizing toward Feingold. If the lawmakers who are lining
their own nest have no fear of a citizen revolt on such a personal
issue (and the polls consistently show overwhelming opposition
to their regular salary increases by the people), why should
Congress be responsive to the peoples' sensibilities on matters
dealing with health insurance, drug prices, money corrupting
our elections, burgeoning federal deficits, bloated military
budgets and an overbearing foreign policy.
Think of the context for the Pay Raise
drive. Our economy is wobbly; unemployment is growing; consumer,
corporate and national debts are at all-time records. The Congressionally
unfettered corporate crime wave underway for years is eating
at jobs, pensions and investor equities. Meanwhile, the ravages
of high level greed by the powerbrokers are everywhere.
Yet, Congress is at its annual stealth
pay raise maneuver once again.
It is time for the people to teach Congress
a lesson. If you focus on your two Senators - calls, letters,
e-mails, meetings back home - you'll have their election-time
fingers in the wind blowing in the responsible direction. Be
imaginative - ask them whether they want more signatures on the
next letter you send; send copies to their opponents and members
of the media.
On August 14, 2002, a coalition of national
conservative and liberal groups sent a letter to each Senator
asking them to oppose the proposed $5,000 Congressional pay raise
(almost half the minimum wage for a worker laboring for a full
year).
They pointed out that there is no shortage
of highly qualified candidates willing to run for Congress at
the current salary. Actually, most newly elected members of the
House of Representatives receive a substantial salary increase,
compared to what they were paid in their former job.
For a copy of the full text and other
action-oriented information, access the website www.congressproject.org
or call (503) 235 - 8012. The Congressional switchboard for your
Senator is (202) 224 - 3121.
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August 24
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