On Tuesday night, a 1,547-page spending bill was unveiled that will result in a pay increase for members of Congress.

The last-minute continuing resolution (CR), which was introduced just days before a possible government shutdown, removes a provision that has been included in spending bills since 2009 to prevent automatic pay raises for Congress members, effectively granting raises to both senators and House representatives.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the leading Democrat on the influential House Appropriations Committee, explained in 2023 that the so-called “Member Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) automatically takes effect unless it is blocked.”

“News flash: a COLA is a pay increase for Members of Congress,” she stated unequivocally.

Congress is known for rebranding controversial actions, such as referring to congressional pay raises with euphemisms like “congressionally directed spending” when it was originally called earmarks.

This is not the first time Congress has used a last-minute lame-duck spending bill to advance its own interests.

In the 2022 lame-duck spending bill, lawmakers included a provision that reimbursed members for various living expenses, including travel, lodging, and food while working in Washington, DC.

The New York Times reported that individual members could claim up to $34,000 in reimbursements during the first year.

Most members of Congress earn $174,000 a year, although those in leadership positions receive higher salaries. The Speaker of the House earns $223,500, while the Senate president pro tempore makes $193,400.

With the provision blocking pay raises removed, lawmakers will now receive an annual pay adjustment based on the change in the government’s Employment Cost Index for the fourth quarter of the previous year compared to the year before.

This pay adjustment will continue annually unless Congress decides to block another raise.

The House is expected to vote on the CR by Friday at the latest. Afterward, it must be approved by the Senate before heading to President Joe Biden’s desk.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) led the negotiations for Republicans, but the timing, content, and process of the deal have faced criticism from GOP members across the ideological spectrum, even before the pay raise was made public.

It remains to be seen whether the pay raise will affect support for Johnson’s deal, either positively or negatively.

Congress consistently maintains a low approval rating, often in the teens, according to Gallup.

{Matzav.com}