Stop the proposed $4,900 congressional pay raise

[Gary Ruskin]

Congressional Reform Briefings		December 5, 2001

Opponents of the proposed $4,900 congressional pay raise sent letters
today to all U.S. Senators urging them to support an amendment by
Senator Russell Feingold to stop the pay raise.  The letter follows.

Dear Senator:

Without any public hearings or a single vote in the House or Senate,
Members of Congress have contrived to grant themselves a proposed $4,900
pay raise, boosting the base congressional salary to a very generous
$150,000 per year, plus health insurance, pension, perks and other
benefits.

We urge you to stop this raise; there is no need for it.  

At present, Members of Congress are lavishly compensated with a princely
salary and emoluments that are multiples more than the median individual
income.  In recent years, Members of Congress have kept their salaries
well ahead of inflation.  In 1989, the base congressional salary was
$89,500. Since then, senators have given themselves eight pay raises. 
The current base congressional salary is more than $13,000 above 1989
levels, adjusted for inflation.  There is no lack of top-quality
candidates willing to serve in Congress for the current salary.

Members of Congress are wrong to hike their salaries while our nation's
economy is deteriorating.  Our country is now in recession, unemployment
is rising, and our federal government's fiscal status has dramatically
worsened.  The federal budget deficit may rise to $50 billion next year,
on top of the $5.8 trillion federal debt. Last week, the White House
Budget Director predicted that the federal government would be mired in
deficits until at least fiscal year 2005.

This proposed pay raise offends against the plain meaning of the 27th
Amendment, which states that "No law varying the compensation for the
services of the Senators and Representatives shall take effect until an
election of Representatives shall have intervened."

Our country may yet face more hardships and tragedies like those of
September 11.  During this time of trial, our country needs its Members
of Congress to preserve and strengthen their moral authority to govern
-- not squander it on an effort most taxpayers would find objectionable
even in ordinary times.

This week, Sen. Russ Feingold will likely offer an amendment to block
the proposed $4,900 congressional pay grab.  This amendment is a test of
Congress's willingness to lead by example. We ask you to ensure that
this amendment receives a vote, and to support it.

Sincerely,

Ralph Nader
Gary Ruskin, Director, Congressional Accountability Project
Pete Sepp, Vice President for Communications, National Taxpayers Union
Paul M. Weyrich, CEO and Founder, Free Congress Foundation
Joe Theissen, Executive Director, Taxpayers for Common Sense
Thomas A. Schatz, President, Council for Citizens Against Government
Waste
Stacie Rumenap, Executive Director, U.S. Term Limits
Gerald Moan, Chairman, Reform Party of the USA
Steve Dasbach, Executive Director, Libertarian Party
David Repko, Chair, pro tem, National Committee of The American Reform
Party

<---------letter ends here---------->
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
Please contact your senators to support the Feingold amendment to stop
the proposed congressional pay raise.

The congressional switchboard phone is (202) 225-3121. To find the fax
numbers and e-mail addresses of your senators, see
<http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/ziptoit.html>.


The Congressional Accountability Project opposes corruption in the U.S.
Congress, and promotes congressional reform.  For more information, see
our website at: <http://www.congressproject.org>.

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PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY
-- 
Gary Ruskin | gary@essential.org 
Commercial Alert | http://www.commercialalert.org
Congressional Accountability Project | http://www.congressproject.org
phone: 503.235.8012 | fax: 503.235.5073