NewsPolitics

Actions

Congress would get pay raise if lawmakers pass government funding bill

Members of the House of Representatives and Senate have not received a pay raise since 2009.
Mike Johnson, Blake Moore, Steve Scalise, Tom Emmer
Posted 5:56 PM, Dec 18, 2024

Tucked inside a more than 1,500-page government funding bill is a pay raise for members of Congress.

The average member of Congress earns $174,000 a year — with party leaders earning more.

Members of the House of Representatives and Senate have not received a pay raise since 2009, which is why some say a cost-of-living adjustment is overdue.

RELATED STORY | Congress unveils funding deal with more than $100 billion in disaster aid

However, Rep. Justin Golden, a Democrat from Maine, said he would vote against the bill because of the raises.

"Congress should be working to raise Americans' wages and lower their health care costs, not sneaking new member perks into must-pass legislation behind closed doors," he said in a statement.

If the funding bill passes, members of Congress could receive a raise of up to 3.8%, or about $6,600 annually.

Congress has to pass the bill, which also includes $100 billion for disaster relief, before Saturday to avoid a partial government shutdown.

RELATED STORY | 13-year-old says new Democratic leadership will need ideas that resonate with young voters