Stop the $5,000 Congressional Pay Raise

[Gary Ruskin]

Congressional Reform Briefings		August 14, 2002

Opponents of the proposed $5,000 congressional pay raise sent letters
today to all U.S. Senators urging them to reject the raise.  The letter
follows.

Dear Senator:

We write to ask you to oppose the proposed $5,000 congressional pay
raise, which would boost the congressional compensation package from
$150,000 to $155,000, plus generous perks, pension and health benefits. 

Members of Congress are already overpaid.  Including the new proposed
raise, Members of Congress will earn nearly four times the median income
of full-time, year-round American male workers, excluding benefits and
perks.

In 1989, Members of Congress earned $89,500 per year.  Since then, they
have already granted themselves $60,500 in raises.  Over the past five
years, Members of Congress have given themselves $13,300 per year in
raises, which is more than a minimum wage employee would earn during an
entire year of full-time work.

But this is an especially improper time for yet another congressional
pay grab.

The federal budget deficit has exploded.  The Office of Management and
Budget predicts that the federal deficit will be $165 billion this
year.  Still worse, the federal public debt has ballooned to $6.2
trillion.  Our country is so deep in debt that we cannot and should not
afford a congressional pay raise.

Our economy is sagging.  The recent stock market drop has cut the
retirement savings of millions of Americans. And the federal
government's official unemployment rate has risen from 4.9% a year ago
to 5.9% last month.

There is no shortage of highly qualified candidates willing to run for
Congress at the current salary.  If Senators wish to earn more, they may
do so in the private sector.

At the very least, the Senate should hold hearings on the proposed
raise, and permit a roll call vote on an amendment to reject it.   

But this is no time for another congressional pay grab.  We ask you to
preserve your moral authority to govern by doing everything in your
power to stop it.

Sincerely,

Ralph Nader
Gary Ruskin, Director, Congressional Accountability Project
Pete Sepp, Vice President for Communications, National Taxpayers Union
Paul M. Weyrich, President, Free Congress Foundation
Jill Lancelot, President and Co-Founder, Taxpayers for Common Sense
Dave Williams, Vice President of Policy, Citizens Against Government
Waste
Stacie Rumenap, Executive Director, U.S. Term Limits
Ben Manski, Co-Chair, Green Party of the United States
Steve Dasbach, Executive Director, Libertarian Party
Gerald Moan, Chairman, Reform Party of the USA 

<-----letter ends here----->
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
1) Please call your U.S. Senators and ask them to oppose the proposed
$5,000 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>.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:
about congressional pay and perks, and the proposed congressional pay
raise, see the Congressional Accountability Project website at
<http://www.congressproject.org> or the National Taxpayers Union website
at <http://www.ntu.org/>.

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>.

Congressional Reform Briefings are distributed electronically via the
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-- 
Gary Ruskin | gary@congressproject.org 
Commercial Alert | http://www.commercialalert.org/
Congressional Accountability Project |
http://www.congressproject.org/
phone: 503.235.8012 | fax: 503.235.5073