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Cost of doing business . . . Congressional Salaries

Congressional Salaries for 2009 . . . for the Curious

History of Annual Salaries - Members of Congress and Leadership
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Year     Congress    Speaker     Maj/Min Leaders Pres Pro Temp
2009    $174,000    $223,500    $193,400
2008    $169,300    $217,400    $188,100
2007    $165,200    $212,100    $183,500
2006    $165,200    $212,100    $183,500
2005    $162,100    $208,100    $180,100
2004    $158,100    $203,000    $175,700
2003    $154,700    $198,600    $171,900
2002    $150,000    $192,600    $166,700
2001    $145,100    $186,300    $161,200
2000    $141,300    $181,400    $156,900
1985    $75,100      n/a               n/a
1975    $44,600      n/a               n/a
1955    $12,500      n/a               n/a
1925    $7,500        n/a               n/a
1900    $5,000        n/a               n/a
1873    $7,500        n/a               n/a
1855    $3,000        n/a               n/a
1825    $8 per day n/a               n/a
1800    $6 per day n/a               n/a
1789    $6 per day n/a               n/a
_{Congress is required by Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution

to determine its own pay. Pay adjustments can be enacted through

stand-alone legislation or through a commission process, but most

commonly member salary increases are implemented through an

automatic annual adjustment process in which members receive an

automatic "cost of living" allowance increase. The salary increase

takes effect on January 1 of each year unless Congress votes to

decline it, though individual members can opt to decline an

automatic annual pay increase. By law, members may not

receive an increase greater than the increase in the base pay

of General Schedule (GS) employees.}

Maybe it just pure foolishness on my own part, but I find it difficult to believe that an individual making over $150,000 dollars a year can really relate to someone making under $40,000 a year. And I don't care where they came from and how they got where they are. I would make an exception to that statement, if they were actually living, or trying to anyway, off that same $40,000 and the "extra" $110,000 was not used, maybe they could see things with the same economic eyes. That being said, I am concerned that or folks on the hill have lost touch with the economic reality of the majority of the US because they don't have to try to make ends meet. Frustration is mounting and the everyday Joe Plumber only sees more tax burden coming and understands that those placing that burden on the shoulders and backs of the people are making 3 or 4 times what they are. Hey wasn't taxation without proper representation what brought on the last Revolution??? They say history repeats itself, lets just hope we get this straighten out before we become the next 3rd World country economically.

HH

posted: 02/11/2009 11:34am by humblyhis View: Backlinks, Permalink Total Views: 298 ShortURL: http://christianblog.com/98df Category: Finances / Money	Print This Blog Entry
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