Should Members of Congress Take Pay Cuts to Help with the Deficit ?

Just as the title states, should they?

What about benefits? Should they take a cut there too?

hould members of Congress cut their salaries or raise the age at which they can draw a congressional pension when many Americans are making personal sacrifices during the country's prolonged economic crisis?

CNN Article


I think a small cut wouldn't hurt them, in both pay and benefits. I mean people in the private work force are sometimes forced to take pay cuts in order to save jobs. It happened to my wife a couple of years ago.

Thoughts ?

This is the equivalent of Bill Gates asking his wife to go get a job at McDonalds to help make ends meet... We are talking about 535 people here... Their total pay wouldn't even make a noticable difference in the deficit. It would be symbolic at best, and not any type of real solution.

IMO they've made so much money off the lobbyists they could take a substantial pay cut.

I never understood why elected officials made so much money. If you want to represent the people, yet you stand above them, how is that possible?

I'm not sure what the stats are for the average wage of a Congressman or a Senator, but if it's anything more than 100 thousand that's crazy.

~Keeper

reply to post by JaxonRoberts


True, not a complete solution, but as you said a symbolic gesture. I like it.

yes they should considering theres not 1 single poor congressman

they may start out as "less well off" but the longer they stay there the more they make.

from what i have read most if not all congressman are millionaires.

and they have better pay and benefits than the majority of americans they can get out of paying taxes they have better health insurance

and they are the ones writing all the laws that effect every single person in this country with exception to them.

nothing touchs them they are above the laws they write and enforce.

so yes definately take a pay cut and benfits this country has got to stop rewarding failures.

and that starts at the top

your dang right they should....

Who else besides congress can vote themselves a pay raise?

The very least that can be done by congress is to show some solidarity with so many of their constituents that are suffering!

that depends, they are smart people generally, who could be doing some other job for more money.

I say that as long as their pay reflects they're rightful entitled pay, then fair enough.

*this post is made specificly on the fence*

Let's do something even better. Take all of the money they get from the lobbyist and the profits they make off the insider trading they are allowed to do.

yea they should eliminate lobbyists instead. they should also prevent any government official from introducing legislation that would benefit a private institution or corporation or company at the expense of the tax payers.

seriously if they cut their pay it would just make the incentive slightly larger to take bribes, i mean lobbyist dollars.

First off, What happens when you cost your company money?
Depending on the level of loss, YOUR FIRED.

Of course they are guaranteed a job for 4 yrs...So why worry, then the benefits from special interests...Even if not relected they get a high level position in some corporate think tank.
Please, Many are criminal in they`re lack of respect for the true public... Why Not? they have little to lose once they are elected... Well that is besides any type of accountability.

SO YES CUT THE WAGES, on performance alone. but we as individuals can do little to change or system without causing far more damage.

How about we revolt? lol.... that is also far more damaging.

For those who would dare true change, and a return to what our founders started.. God speed

The people should not fear they`re government.. The government should fear it`s people... Qoute I always have loved.

I think we should start paying them with the Chinese Yuan.

As for pay cuts, if they haven't volunteered by now don't expect them to do it anytime soon.

reply to post by elevatedone


in the days of the roman republic
if it turned out that the "budget" was not balanced or money was missing from the treasury
the entire membership of the senate had to make up the difference, from their own purses.

just imagine....

Originally posted by gatherer
Of course they are guaranteed a job for 4 yrs...

Not to be picky but...House of Rep term = 2 years, Senate = 6 years.

reply to post by elevatedone


It doesn't come down to Congress's pay..yes...they do need a pay cut...they make to much money..however, that is not what is wrong with our economy. We have a spending problem..not a financial problem. Our country needs to quit spending and quit borrowing. For the time being..taxes (for everyone) need to be raised, yes..it will be painful, but if we want our country on the right track for the future...we need to stop spending, stop borrowing, raise taxes till the problem is fixed. We need to be a country that lends..not borrows. We need to be a country that makes interest not pays interest, and...and and and....the people within need to follow the same rules. On a personal level we need to realize...we can't have it all, sometimes we can't have what we want, sometimes we can't even have what we want, even though we can afford it, we need a budget, national wise, and personal wise. Sometimes we have to tell ourselves NO! On a personal level, be a person who makes interest not pays interest..be a person who lends money not borrows money. You know...when my Grandparents were younger (I'm 31) its was an insult to have debt. It was an insult to have to "borrow" money..it meant you were poor! they followed very simple guidelines....NO cash? no item! there was no such thing as credit cards, you had layaway, and it was embarrassing that you had to use it. We have completely turned upside down as a society...now...your personal debt is a measure of your wealth, that is ridiculous! We can't very well, make the right decisions on who to vote in for our country, when we can't even make the right personal decisions ourselves! The one thing about officials? they get elected! elect the right people. It no longer comes down to democrat/republican. I would much rather vote in a financially secure democrat than a fully in debt republican and vice versa. Who do we need in government to fix our problem? The person who is going to stand up...cut spending, completely knock out borrowing and yes...raise taxes. Any one else who promises differently? IS LYING!

My info and insight? Mr. Andy Stanley. You want to know how to fix our country? doesn't come down to just the paychecks in Congress...USA is a wealthy country..we do not have a "financial" problem, we have to many resources to have a "Financial" problem. We have a spending problem.

Yes, I do think the Congress should take a pay cut, in fact, I think all of their ill gotten gains should be seized. A Public Servant should draw only minimal pay, and all lobbyists should he hanged at dawn. Just my opinion.
It was the Congress, after all that dipped their greedy hands in the Social Security Trust Fund for their war games and dominion actions, so the Congress is responsible for the Trust, they need to pay back all they took out. The Congress also gave over, against the Constitution, the power to coin money to the Federal Reserve Banking Cartel. To me, this is a treasonous act:

Treason , sedition mean disloyalty or treachery to one's country or its government.
Treason is any attempt to overthrow the government or impair the well-being of a state to which one owes allegiance; the crime of giving aid or comfort to the enemies of one's government.

link source

Let us examine the words, impair the well-being of a state to which one owes allegiance. Taking a power, like the power to coin money away from the People and giving that said power to a Privately Owned Banking Concern impairs our government in many ways, the People have no say whatsoever in the rates of interest or the nationalisation of the Nation's resources...
(Bold Text Mine)

Section 8 - Powers of Congress

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

www.usconstitution.net...

I rest my case.

reply to post by Nkinga


That really wasn't the point of the post. We all "know"/or have opinions on what the major cause(s) of the problem are -the question is a matter Congressional ethics or "morality" if you prefer.

Frankly, I'd like to see Congress and the Senate have to face that question in the form of proposed legislation - THEN we'd have an idea who actually cares about us (their constituents) - and who doesn't. That might make a difference in the way I'd vote in the next election. (I'm talking pay CUT - not freeze here - let's see if these representatives/senators are willing to do a little suffering with the rest of us to show a little solidarity)

Yes, but will they?

I have come to the conclusion, that it takes a siciopath to do that job, and we have voted them in.

Ron Paul has a money bomb add on ATS. What does that tell you?

People don't become polliticians for your benefit. They do so to earn a paycheck. Keep that in mind.

I'm not sure why everyone is busy count someone elses money. If one is not happy with their situation, I suggest trying to improve it. I currently hold three jobs, stay busy and pretty happy to be alive. The only way we are going to get out of this mess, is taxes.

reply to post by elevatedone

I am not American But English, but think the same applies. The problem is it would be just a gesture and not make a jot of difference on the deficit.
In your country and Min it is about time these people realized thy are running a business, they Have X amount coming in so they can only spend x amount . they need to clean up all the dodgy deals, back handers and whatever and make the books ad up. I private industry the company would have gone bust and they would have all been sacked long ago

Darren

reply to post by elevatedone


Absolutely.. I also think that pay for members of congress should be established at a minmuma amount for all, and the respective citizens of the states, if re-electing one, can also decide to give them a pay raise as well.

i would also like to see pay for performance, meaning if they arent present for 100% of the votes, they dont get 100% of their paychecks.

Anytime the Gvoernment doesnt pass a budget, or shuts down, I dont theink they should be getting paid, at all. I think the bugets for their offices should be limited as well, and open to the public, including all people who visit with them and a reason for that visit.

I think when it comes to meeting with businesses, it should be an open meeting and records of that meeting should be a matter of public record as well. Anytime a member of Congress agrees to support a business in legslation, that should be a matter of public record as well, including why the representative is supporting the legislation, and if any money was given in return for that support, including campaign contributions.