Politics

Who Voted Against Blocking a Pay Raise for Congress?

By Sunlight Foundation & Participatory Politics Foundation

The House voted today to block an automatic pay raise for themselves that is scheduled to happen next year. Each year, Congress is automatically given a pay raise (a.k.a. a “cost of living adjustment”) of about $1,500, but they blocked this year’s pay raise last year and with both chambers of Congress now having now passed legislation for 2011, they are set to block next year’s raise as well. Senators and representatives currently make$174,000 a year.

The final vote count was 402-15, with 13 members not voting. Here’s a list of the 15 “no” votes (all Democrats):

• Rep. James Clyburn [D, SC-6]
• Rep. John Conyers [D, MI-14]
• Rep. Donna Edwards [D, MD-4]
• Rep. Keith Ellison [D, MN-5]
• Rep. Sheila Jackson -Lee [D, TX-18]
• Rep. Eddie Johnson [D, TX-30]
• Rep. Carolyn Kilp atrick [D, MI-13]
• Rep. Barbara Lee [D, CA-9]
• Rep. Gregory Meeks [D, NY-6]
• Rep. James Moran [D, VA-8]
• Rep. Donald Payne [D, NJ-10]
• Rep. Bennie Thompson [D, MS-2]
• Rep. Edolphus Towns [D, NY-10]
• Rep. Melvin Watt [D, NC-12]
• Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D, CA-6]

The Senate passed their own pay raise blocking bill last week by unanimous consent, without a roll call vote.

Full post as published by Open Congress on April 28, 2010 (boomark / email).