House Democrats weigh pay raise for Congress

WASHINGTON — House Democrats are making moves to lift the pay freeze that lawmakers have been living under since 2010. But the top Senate appropriator is not on board.

House appropriators released their Financial Services fiscal 2020 spending bill this week, striking a provision that blocked members of Congress from receiving an increase in pay. The salary for rank-and-file House and Senate lawmakers is $174,000, but those with official leadership titles and responsibilities make more.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., said Tuesday that he supports to move.

“That was taken to court; the court ruled it was not a pay raise, it was an adjustment on an annual basis for inflation,” he said during a briefing with reporters.

Hoyer said that if it was, in fact a pay raise, it would not be able to take effect until the next Congress. Hoyer cited the cost of housing in the District of Columbia as well as provisions that prevent staff from earning more than a member as two reasons to allow the pay increase to move forward.

In 2018, the District’s median rent of $1,550 for a two-bedroom apartment was well above the national average of $1,180. And lawmakers must maintain a residence in their home state or district, which adds to housing costs.

“The salary that we receive is a decent salary — there’s no doubt about that — but one problem is that under the law, employees are capped. They can’t go above members of Congress. What you’ve got to understand … is that’s not only having an effect on members of Congress, it’s compressing salary structure,” Hoyer said.

Hoyer’s majority leader title brings his income up to $193,400.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard C. Shelby, R-Ala., said Monday that he’s unlikely to support the provision.

“I think the American people would think that Congress ought to earn it first,” Shelby said.

Freshman Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently brought up the unpopularity of lawmaker raises, which she says incentivizes policy decisions that keep lobbying loopholes open.