Did Congress Deserve A Pay Increase? Ask Van Hollen

Did Congress Deserve A Pay Increase?
Ask Chris Van Hollen What He Thinks...

With The Lowest Approval Ratings Ever, Congress Voted For A $4,400 Pay Raise. “Despite record-low approval ratings, House lawmakers Wednesday voted to accept an approximately $4,400 pay raise that will increase their salaries to almost $170,000.” (Andrew Taylor, “House Votes to Accept $4,400 Pay Raise,” The Associated Press, 6/27/07)

Pay Raise Was Buried Within An Appropriations Bill To Hide Fact That Congress Was Voting On A Personal Pay Increase. “The cost-of-living increases for Congress are automatic by permanent law, and have for years been in the fine print of an appropriations bill, which also gives civil servants a COLA increase. Having the measure lumped with other legislation insulates the members from specifically voting on a raise just for themselves.” (Lois Romano, “House Grudgingly Accepts a Pay Raise, as Usual,” The Washington Post, 6/28/08)

Van Hollen Helped Block A Measure By Democrat Jim Matheson Of Utah Who Moved To Hold A Direct Vote To Block The Pay Hike And Increase Transparency For The American People.

Rep. Matheson(D-UT): "If you and I sat down and read the bill, we probably couldn't even find the language that authorizes the raises. I think it is important that we have an up-or-down vote just on the raise -- that what we do is transparent. It shouldn't be buried in an appropriations bill." (Lois Romano, “House Grudgingly Accepts a Pay Raise, as Usual,” The Washington Post, 6/28/08)

Now The Jobless Rate Is At Its Highest Since 2003, When Chris Van Hollen First Took Office. “The unemployment rate jumped to 6.1 percent in August, its highest level in five years…For the eighth consecutive month, the nation’s employers shed jobs, 84,000 last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. In all, 605,000 jobs have been lost since January.” (Louis Uchitelle, “U.S. Jobless Rate Rises Past 6%, Highest Since ’03, The New York Times, 9/6/08)

With Six Years In Office And So Many Americans Losing Jobs, Struggling To Keep Their Homes, And Pay Bills, Chris Van Hollen Thought He Deserved A Raise. (H. Res 517, CQVote #580: Passed 244-181: R: 99-98; D: 145-83, 6/27/07, Van Hollen Voted Aye)

Paid for by Steve Hudson for Congress