No Pay Increases For Members Of Congress Next Year

Last night we learned that it was Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) who inserted the very sensible amendment into the Stimulus Bill that should be popular with all but the most corrupt Big Business shills: forcing the crooked banksters to give back the "bonuses" they stole from the TARP money. Unfortunately, among the Conference Committee members there exist several of the most corrupt Big Business shills: Thad Cochran (R-MS), Max Baucus (D-MT), Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dave Camp (R-MI). And who knows how to look at Charlie Rangel (D-NY) these days? Anyway, I doubt anyone could get away with scratching that particular part of the bill. Voters are really pissed-off.

Possibly reacting (wisely) to that degree of pissed-offness, Nancy Pelosi announced yesterday that the House would be forgoing automatic cost of living raises next year. She suggested the Senate do likewise.

“I told our colleagues that because of the condition of our economy and the enormous crisis our country is in, the leadership will be instructing the Appropriations Committee not to include a COLA for next year in the Appropriations bill being put together for the fiscal year 2010,” Pelosi said.

Many Republicans agreed with Pelosi that this was the right move. Howard Coble (R-NC): "It would be a good message to send to the American populace and our constituents. This is not the time for us to get a pay raise.” The COLA would have added over $4,000 to the already fat paychecks ($174,000) of each member of the House. For members who take the really big bribes-- like California Congressman Jerry Lewis-- this doesn't matter at all but for the members who keep two residences, one in their district and one in DC, it's a burden... not a bad thing when they're considering the tough times the rest of the country is going through, primarily due to policies many of them-- the Republicans and Blue Dogs-- have advanced.