With so many citizens across American feeling the pinch of the recession and with a bloated budget looming over them, it's time for members of Congress to take pay cut, some House members are saying.
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) this week introduced the "Taking Responsibility for Congressional Pay Act," which would cut senators' and representatives' salaries by 5 percent starting Jan. 1, 2011. The measure would enact the first pay cut for Congress since 1933.
At least 12 other congressmen have signed onto the bill this week.
The purpose of the bill is to "make Members of Congress show a personal commitment to cutting federal spending," according to a press release.
"Families across the country are getting by on lower wages and finding ways to cut back during the downturn, and these are the folks that pay our salaries," Kirkpatrick said in a statement. "The federal government's budget is in much worse shape, so why shouldn't senators and representatives have to feel the same pinch?"
Kirkpatrick has promised to return 5 percent of her own salary this year to show her commitment to the proposal. According to the release, Kirkpatrick feels the measure should be easy for her congressional colleagues to support since it saves taxpayer dollars without cutting any valuable programs.
Most members of Congress make $174,000 per year, though leadership makes more. |