Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) “today introduced legislation (S. 3143) preventing members of Congress from receiving a pay raise until they balance the budget,” according to a press release.
The proposed legislation would also reduce the government’s debt limit every year, which would force Congress to reduce spending by at least $200 billion annually.
Some specifics:
Members of Congress are paid an annual salary of $174,000 and, under a law passed by Congress, that amount is automatically increased every year. Senator Coburn’s bill would block this automatic congressional pay raise until Congress balances the budget.
The bill would also establish annual fiscal benchmarks to prevent increases in borrowing and force spending reductions by Congress. It would do so by reducing the amount of debt the federal government is allowed to possess by $200 billion annually over a five year period. The current federal debt limit approved by Congress earlier this year is $14.3 trillion.
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Congress in Your Pocket
It is all together high time that the U.S. Congress be brought back to reality. Their contiunuous pay increases are totally out of order for a nation “OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE!”
Only one time, that I am aware of, in Congressional history, has Congress VOTED DOWN a pay increase. I believe it was in the middle to late 1980′s. The Speaker of the House required a vote on their upcoming raise. What Guts! And I don’t even recall whether he was a Democrat, or Republican, but believe he was from Texas.
I don’t believe such dedication to this country is to be found in any member, except possibly Senator Coburn.