Negotiators Agree To Allow Pay Increase For Congress

Cost-of-living increase is members' first since 1993

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Sep. 30, 1997) -- Senate negotiators removed the biggest obstacle to a pay raise Monday night when they backed down on an amendment to block a cost-of-living increase for members of Congress.

At a three-minute meeting with House negotiators, senators voted to drop an amendment introduced in July by Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.) that would have prevented the increase. The pay raise is part of the bill which funds the Treasury Department and general government operations.

During the meeting, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) pushed to retain the amendment, but without debate the motion failed in a 3 to 3 tie. Stevens voted against his own motion, thus allowing for the pay hike.

The 2.3 percent cost-of-living adjustment will add more than $3,000 a year to the current base pay of $133,000 for federal lawmakers.

Unswayed by the Senate proposal to block the increase, the House last week voted 229 to 199 to not block the raise. This action left the matter to be resolved in conference committee.

Under a 1989 law, congressional cost-of-living increases are linked to the annual pay increases recommended by the president for all federal employees. Congress automatically receives the raises unless it votes to block them, which it has done every year since 1993.

Wellstone could still try to block the increase by filibustering the spending bill, but the measure enjoys such widespread support from congressional leaders as well as rank-and-file members that efforts to block the measure will most likely be pushed aside.

Both the House and Senate are expected to vote on the compromise legislation this week.

In Other News:

Tuesday Sept. 30, 1997

• Ickes To Testify Next Week
• Critics On The Right Snipe At Sen. Thompson
• Negotiators Agree To Allow Pay Increase For Congress
• N.Y. Lieutenant Gov. Joins Democratic Party
• Clinton Meets With Race Advisory Board
• Clinton Bids Goodbye To Retiring Military Chief
• Congress Extends Immigration Filing Deadline

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