Feingold: Not the Time for Congress to Raise its Own Pay Senator Urges Colleagues to Reject Backdoor Pay Raise, Reform Pay Raise System September 24, 2001 Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today urged his colleagues not to raise congressional pay at a time when the nation is spending federal funds on relief efforts, preparing for armed conflict and working to prevent future terrorist attacks. Under current law members of the House and Senate will receive a $4900 automatic pay raise in January of 2002 unless Congress acts to stop it. For the last two Congresses, Feingold has introduced legislation to end to the automatic cost-of-living adjustment for Members of Congress. "Because Members of Congress have the power to raise their own pay, and because they are paid with taxpayer money, the congressional pay raise process always deserves the highest level of scrutiny," Feingold said. "At this moment, given all that has happened in recent days, and all that will happen as the nation prepares to fight terrorism, I think to accept a $4,900 backdoor pay raise should be out of the question." Feingold called for an end to the current congressional pay raise system, which automatically raises congressional pay with little public accountability. Feingold accepts no pay increase throughout his 6-year term, accepting only the rate of pay that Senators were eligible to receive on the date on which he was sworn in as a Senator. He returns to the Treasury any additional income Senators get, whether from a cost-of-living adjustment or a pay raise voted on by the Congress. "We are spending the hard-earned tax dollars of millions of Americans to recover from the horrific events of September 11 and to ensure that it does not happen again," Feingold said. "And right this minute, our nation is sending the men and women of our Armed Services into harm's way. This is not the time for Congress to accept a pay raise. Let's stop this backdoor pay raise, and then let's enact legislation to end this practice once and for all."

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