Democrat Giffords proposes Congressional pay cut
The Hill reports that Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-D) is proposing a bill that would cut Congressional pay and funding by 5%;
The pay cut would save taxpayers about $4.7 million by freezing the base pay of House and Senate lawmakers at $174,000. Majority and minority leaders each make $193,400 per year, and newly elected Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is to receive an annual salary of $223,500.
Members of Congress automatically receive a cost-of-living pay adjustment each year unless they vote against it. President Obama signed a bill in May halting Congress’s automatic cost-of-living increase for 2011 after it easily passed both the House and Senate.
On Fox News, Giffords said her bill would also cut members’ budgets by 5%, too. The Hill calls it a “slash”, but I call it a good start. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to bring their pay down to $100,000-it’s still above the national average and commensurate with their hours and their perks.
Of course, if they were serious about making cuts, they’d do away with their pension system. They really don’t need it what with the Thrift Savings Plan, the 401k which invests almost 100% of their contributions with only a minuscule reduction for fees. Then they’d term limit themselves, too.
Regardless of her party, I commend Giffords for this good start.
Category: Congress sucks
The only reason Giffords is proposing this is because she actually came close to losing her seat the last election. She was advised that the majority of her constituents did not want her to vote for the health care BS but she did. She has consistently voted as pelosi instructed her for the last 2 years. This last election was so close she has just now decided to start to listen, but only in inconsequential situations. She has still not done much of anything to secure the border or hold spending in a meaningful way. This token pay cut is just that, a token bone to the voters of her district.
If they really wanted to change things, they’d tie their salaries to the national average.
OT is right. Giffords didn’t even win a majority of the votes in her district. She also was one of 20 Dems to vote against Pelosi as minority leader.
How about we save even more money and only pay them $100,000/yr, thats still comparable to the upper pay scale for District, VA and MD residents.
Although it is explained in that quote, the last line states it easily passed both the house and senate. The payraise didn’t actually “pass” anything. How about if they change the rule so they actually have to have an up or down vote on their pay raise? That way each elected official will be on record as to whether he or she actually approved it.
The cost of working in DC is outrageous. It is a Disneyland economy. Everything is high beyond what most Americans can believe. Grocery stores are scare, because high priced restaurants need bussiness. Owning and parking a personal car is for rich people. Most staffers are paid a wage allowing them to commmute 45 minutes to work on the metro , living in a older home with 4 other people if they are single. It is a very transcient expensive lifestyle. The only way to cut expenses is carry a backpack with food, water and toiletries daily. They won’t pass by anyplace anyplace on the way home to pick up that milk, bread or cough syrup. It is closed calculated park system. Try renting in Capitol Hill disctrict. Almost unduable for most. Even House and Senate members. Some of them will sleep in their offices because rent is out of the question. Most of us would not opt to work that way. These people walk to work several blocks from the Metro in all weather. Most of us walk from our cars to a fairly close building. Absolutely most of the college educated young people comming to serve in DC can make more money while living a easier and less costly lifestyle elsewhere. Yes, there are lesser educated federal employees making wages well beyond their qualifications to work in the museums etc. We need to shut that system of pay down. Don’t confuse a Capitol Hill tour guide with a political director. The two are not comparable. But, yes, we have allowed themmany of the same job bemefits. Why?
Shirley, I moved to DC for a $10/hour job in 1999 with my family. We did away with our car for three years until we could afford one and we used the BMW for transportation (BMW=Bike, Metro, Walking). When I got a raise, it went into savings. After the first year, we got fare cards as part of our pay so we’d stop driving to work-which worked out fine for me since I didn’t drive anyway.
Granted, I had an Army pension and the Commissary to supplement my income, but still, it’s not impossible to survive in DC. And if Congress slashed their salaries and those of their staffs don’t you think prices would fall in DC when no one is renting those multi-thousand dollar apartments on Capitol Hill and Connecticut Avenue and they move over to Northeast like we did?
By overpaying them, where is their “service” to us? That’s why they’re there right? It’s no wonder they feel like our masters when they make more than the rest of us?
There are two other actions that can be taken:
First is to have the states rent houses, or buy them outright, for their Congressional delegation. The houses become property of that state, not the individual member of Congress. No rent, just utilities.
Second is to cut the staff of each member of Congress. “Staff of a Member of Congress” and “Lobbyist” are redundant words for one human being. Lobbyists provide expertise in any given subject, so having a staffer to do the same thing is overkill. Or, one can reverse the practice: if one has a staffer for a particular area, i.e. Defense, forbid Lobbyists from DOD and the defense industry from walking through the door.
The second item is just a whistle in the wind, but a great way to engender the impermanence of being a Congressperson is to make their living environment impermanent.
Bout F***ing time!!!
My sister works in DC at the Dept of Ag. She and her husband live very well, thank you. In fact when she moved there she received a nice bonus for it. Seems to me it was the very same amount her son recieved for a reenlistment bonus when he reupped on his return from Iraq. Yup, the same son who is scheduled to deploy to Afghanastan in a few months. No, she is not in management but a worker bee. If she’s doing fine on her pay and perks I’m sure my congress critters can get by with a little less.
I only read this post today, and made a mental note to look more into this Gifford woman’s positions, and not but a few hours later and she is shot dead.
RIP Gabrielle
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I’d rather she keep her money and leave my rights alone. And what they’re “saving” us will probably just go into some aid package to a terrorist-supporting nation.
Whatever.
She’s no longer a member of Congress, and like with nearly all liberals, I’m certain that this is little more than a publicity stunt. Let’s not forget about when Nanny Lugosi stated in a nutshell that cutbacks were beneath them, those are for whom she and her party regard as lesser beings, like us Vets who have risked our lives for our Country while she and her ilk live high on the gravy train! She and her astro-hubby, “Mr. Gabrielle Giffords”, have started their anti-gun foundation, I wonder how generous of a salary they’ll treat themselves to for running it?
@15 I didn’t check the original post date of the thread before I commented. This story is from 2011, before she was shot.
Yeah, I think this post was written just days before she was shot.