PAY CUT FOR CONGRESS
Now isn’t that a novel idea? We have all bemoaned the way Congress has acted at times. That goes for Democrats and Republicans alike and I have been as guilty as anyone else, maybe more so. Congressional approval ratings are at a very low level, with Rasmussen reporting that 71% of those polled believe Congress is doing a poor job. Any way you look at it, 71% is a lot of people who do not like what Congress is doing or the way they are doing it.
One of the loudest battle cries over health care reform has been the one that has called for Congress to accept and enroll themselves in whatever health care plan they come up with for the rest of us. There seems to be a consensus among the general population of America that Congress provides it’s members with things that most us have no hope of obtaining, health care being chief among them, along with the salary and retirement they receive. What’s more, most members of Congress act as if they are entitled to all of it. Imagine my surprise to learn that one member of Congress has put forth legislation to cut the salary of our Representatives.
Ann Kirkpatrick
Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona has introduced legislation that will give Congress a 5% cut in pay and it already has 21 cosponsors, from both political parties. With congressional salaries standing at $174,000, with leaders earning more, that amounts to $8700 per year. Kirkpatrick has already taken it upon herself to cut her own pay, putting her money where her mouth is, as it were, giving back $870 per month, which is a little extra to make up for the first two months of 2010. If her proposal is passed by Congress, it would give a savings of $4.66 million per year.
Now, I know what most people will think and say about this and they would be correct. $4.66 million is a very paltry sum, compared to the trillions of dollars of debt our country has occurred. By itself, the pay cut and resulting savings would amount to a drop in the bucket of our massive debt, but it is at least, a start in the right direction. Sometimes, a gesture of good intentions counts for a lot and I would have to say Ann Kirkpatrick’s gesture is a good one.
The $12.5 trillion debt the United States now carries is a very large burden. Mike has written a number of times about the need to reduce that debt and has been very diligent in pointing out that it is going to take a concerted effort on all fronts to cut the debt down to size. He has mentioned spending cuts and tax increases and while most of us have applauded any mention of cutting spending, we have not been so fond of increasing taxes. However, if Congress follows the lead of Ann Kirkpatrick and puts their money with hers, that could be a good beginning. I am not fond of tax increases, but I would be much more inclined to give some of them another look, if I see better action out of Congress. I think it is worth considering, not as a means of punishing Congress, but as a means to help our country. As always, your comments are welcome.
This may be have a chance this time, within the political climate of low public approval of Congress, constituents that are financially strapped, and an election cycle around the corner. Frankly,though, the skeptic in me thinks it’s just another tactic and that it will be forgotten once the elections are behind us.
I truly hope you are wrong, Laurie. It would be nice to see something substantive come out of this effort by Kirkpatrick.
Me, too, Larry. While I think that Kirkpatrick is on the level (she put her money where her mouth is), Congress doesn’t have a great record with follow through on pay cuts.
Kirkpatrick’s gesture is relevant and the small total value of the savings is not the point. None of us wants to take a 10% cut in our income and any politician who does so for the sake of the greater good is to be thanked.
What I think I’d rather see happen though is a reallocation of salary. A congressmans life is no picnic having two residences, constant travel back and forth, time away from your family. No problem for those from Virginia, Maryland, Delaware (Joe Biden commuted to DC) but extremely difficult for the West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska, etc. I think Congress should set a base level of compensation and then add/subtract based on your distance from home. Add 10% (minimum) for those farthest from home and deduct from those closest to home. Seems to me a lot fairer than the flat pay system in place. Being fro Arizona Kirkpatrick’s salary should be bumped up and let the local guys take the hit.
I think you have made a good suggestion, Mike. I had not thought of it, but I am sure someone like Kirkpatrick has to run up a lot of expenses, traveling back and forth and keeping two residences. It is something that should be considered.
Great suggestion,Mike. Living expenses has been a major reason stated by Congress against pay cuts, and probably at the heart of some of my skepticism that a pay cut will get widespread support. And many have a legitimate argument against it.
Our state is about as far away from DC as you can get. Not only do our representatives have the high costs of West Coast living to contend with plus the need for additional accommodations in DC, travel costs are high in comparison. Especially with the Representatives who, to keep in close touch with constituents and to keep up with frequent elections, must come home much more often than our Senators,these costs are very high. Fundraising trips back home alone eat up a lot of money (there’s an irony, yes?). Your proposal would go a long way to alleviating the problem, but I wonder if Congress could see it so clearly.
While the actual amount of money this would save would be small that is not the main point here. It is the gesture itself that would show the American people that congress understands the plight of the American people. We are constantly being told that we have to sacrifice ( pay more taxes) while congress never has to sacrifice, this would show the people that they are also willing to sacrifice.
BUT, maybe I am just too cynical, but this smells like political posturing during an election year to me, at least by some of them. At least Kirkpatrick is putting her money where her mouth is by giving back the money, I wonder how many others will follow suit, and how many others will vote to cut their own pay.
That’s what impressed me about Ann Kirkpatrick. She is following her own suggestion, even before the proposal has been put to a vote. You have to give her credit for that and it is no small credit, in my opinion.
I agree, it will be interesting to see how many follow her lead.
I agree with this, and applaud Kirkpatrick’s gesture. But, I think it goes a bit beyond a simple pay cut. How many perks do members of Congress receive? It’s not as much about the money (and I gather that this is the general theme here), but it is about the disconnect between us and our elected officials. Let’s start treating these folks as employees, and not royalty.
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