(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-04) has succeeded in persuading House leaders to cancel an automatic pay raise for Members of Congress next year. Today, House leaders announced that pay raises for Members of Congress will not be included in the FY 2010 budget.
In January, Altmire introduced the Stop the Congressional Pay Raise Act to prevent Members of Congress from receiving an automatic pay raise.
“Cancelling members of Congress’ pay raise for next year is absolutely the right thing to do,” Altmire said. “In January, I co-sponsored legislation to stop this pay raise because it is irresponsible for members of Congress to boost their own salaries when millions of Americans have lost their jobs. In the midst of this recession, Congress must continue to do everything it can to ensure taxpayers’ dollars are being used as responsibly and as effectively as possible.”
This is the second time Altmire has succeeded in persuading House leaders to cancel a Congressional pay raise. During his first month in office, Altmire helped to stop the 2007 pay raise from going into effect.
Altmire also co-sponsored legislation in both 2007 and 2008 that would have prevented Members of Congress from receiving a pay raise the following year. In June 2007, he also voted against the scheduled 2.7 percent pay raise for 2008.
In 1989, Congress passed a law that provides lawmakers with an automatic pay raise every January unless they take action to reject it.
