Maine Democrat opposes CR deal over raises for Congress

Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) vowed to vote against this week's continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government over a provision that authorizes an automatic pay raise for members of Congress.

“We should be working to raise Americans’ wages and lower their health care costs, not slipping new taxpayer-funded perks for ourselves into must-pass legislation behind closed doors,” Golden wrote in a Wednesday post on the social platform X. “As long as raises and new health care perks for members are in the CR, I will vote against it.”

Congressional lawmakers unveiled on Tuesday a large funding bill that would keep the government funded until March 14, averting a shutdown Friday.

The most recent CR, which spans more than 1,500 pages, would allow lawmakers to receive their first pay raise since 2009.

Members of Congress get $174,000 a year, while those in leadership earn more.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have steered away from increasing their pay for fear of political retaliation in their districts once they are due for reelection.

But others who have been in support of a hike point to the high cost of living in two locations, saying that refusing to raise congressional salaries discourages those who aren't independently wealthy from running for office.

“Every year a few members of Congress work up the nerve to advocate for pay raises and every time I have worked across the aisle to oppose them,” Golden said in March. “I have always said: Membership in Congress is about service, not a paycheck. At a time when members already earn far more than the average American, and when the public has little faith in their elected officials, the last thing we need is a raise.”

The CR also includes a one-year farm bill extension, approximately $100 billion in disaster relief and some $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers, among other features.

Topics

Trump Jr. knocks CR over provision on subpoenas for House data

Donald Trump Jr. knocked the continuing resolution (CR) on Wednesday over a provision concerning subpoenas for House data, piling on pushback from President-elect Trump’s allies to the stopgap ...
The Hill - 2h
Ramaswamy opposes spending deal: 'Like showering cocaine on an addict'

Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy slammed the stopgap spending deal, urging congressional members to vote against the massive bill if they are "serious about government efficiency." Ramaswamy ...
The Hill - 4h
Congress strikes deal to avert government shutdown

Congressional leaders have struck a bipartisan deal to keep the government funded beyond a looming Dec. 20 shutdown deadline. Legislation rolled out by leadership on Tuesday would kick the Friday ...
The Hill - 21h
House Republicans fume at Speaker Johnson over handling of CR: ‘A total dumpster fire’

House Republicans are fuming at Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) handling of an end-of-year measure to extend government funding until March, saying it is more like a sprawling omnibus — which they ...
The Hill - 1d
Congress grapples over pre-Christmas catch-all deal as government shutdown looms

Top lawmakers had aimed to release bill text over the weekend but hit an impasse over agriculture aid.
Politico - 3d
Watchdog raises concerns over Trump-era leak probes of reporters, members of Congress

A top government watchdog raised concerns over the handling of leak investigations during the first Trump administration that targeted members of Congress and the media.
ABC News - Dec. 10
Birmingham equal pay deal raises doubt over council’s bankruptcy

Authority to pay about £250mn to settle historic dispute, far less than previously expected
Financial Times - Dec. 10
Trump’s Cabinet choices are disastrous. Why are so many Democrats in Congress quiet?

Trump's Cabinet picks are uniquely dangerous for the country — and many Democrats are acting like everything's normal.
NBC News - Dec. 5
Democrats in Congress Criticize Biden’s Pardon of His Son Hunter

Lawmakers in the president’s own party, many of them moderates, said his decision to pardon his son was selfish and would further damage Americans’ waning faith in democracy and the rule of law.
The New York Times - Dec. 2