Senators have voted to give up an automatic $3,100 a year raise. The extra money would have raised their salaries to $165,200 a year. The House passed a similar plan recently.Senator John Kyl (R-AZ) (right) sponsored the plan.
He says it would save the treasury close to $2 million. An important symbolic gesture as Congress struggles to come up with $50 billion to cover costs resulting from hurricanes in the Gulf Coast.
The bill passed the Senate 92-6. So who were the holdouts wanting to keep the raise:
- Sen Kit Bond (R-MO)
- Sen Richard Lugar (R-IN)
- Sen Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
- Sen Paul Sarbanes (D-MD)
- Sen Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
- Sen James Jeffords (I-VT)
While Sen Kyl sponsored the plan this year, Sen Russ Feingold (D-WI) has led an annual charge for years attempting to block the automatic pay raises. (USAToday)
1 comment:
How does $3,100 for each Senator save us $2 million? Is it just me or does the math not add up. Many of them work 6-7 days a week...10-12 hour days on average. I don't mind them having this very small raise...we can find the money elsewhere.
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