“A happy new year? For US senators and representatives, it certainly is: As of Jan. 1, their salary is $158,100 -- the highest ever and an increase of $3,400 over the amount they collected last year.
“Congress is notorious for procrastination, and the tally of unfinished business on Capitol Hill is a long one. But no one can accuse the legislative branch of dragging its heels when it comes to congressional pay. Appropriations bills may gather dust, judicial nominations may languish, but members of Congress are johnny-on-the-spot when it comes to their own salaries. The most recent raise is only the latest in an ongoing series:
“On Jan. 1, 2003, they took a raise of $4,700.
“On Jan. 1, 2002, they took a raise of $4,900.
“On Jan. 1, 2001, they took a raise of $3,800.
“On Jan. 1, 2000, they took a raise of $4,600.
“On Jan. 1, 1998, they took a raise of $3,100.
“That comes to six raises totaling $24,500 since January 1998. . . . Under the system now in place, House and Senate members automatically get a pay raise every year. The only way not to get the raise is to pass an amendment blocking it, and parliamentary hurdles make that difficult to accomplish. Upshot: a congressional paycheck that grows by thousands of dollars a year—with no hearings, no debate, no media coverage, no public explanations. Above all, no embarrassing votes.”
Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby ( What do you think about the congressional pay raise? Weigh in on our Discussion Board at http://blog.chuckmuth.com/blog/ )
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