Congress Makes a Move

This is a good move:

“Most members of Congress next year will receive $174,000 in 2011 under legislation awaiting President Barack Obama's signature, the same amount they're getting this year.

Under the law that governs congressional pay, senators and representatives were due to get an automatic cost of living increase on January 1 , probably an extra $1,600 or 0.9 percent, unless they voted beforehand to turn it down.

Last week, they did just that. The Senate rejected the increase in a voice vote, and the House of Representatives concurred, 402 to 15.”

In the land of the Potomac, sometimes the voice of the people is drowned out by the language of Washington. Unfortunately, it can produce an echo chamber where Representatives and Senators have little clue as to what’s happening around the country.

Well, the situation around the country isn’t terribly good. Americans are struggling with the recession that still has unemployment hovering near 10%. Economic growth is not what it should be, government spending is out of control, inflation is up, and the citizenry is clamoring for some real leadership in Washington D.C. It’s why a large anti-incumbency wave is going sweep through Congress six months from now. And since the Democrats have been in the majority for more than three years, they may be the recipients of heavy losses in both the House and Senate.

People aren't idiots. They realize when change turns out to be a bad thing. In November, I wrote a post comparing 1995-1997, when the Republicans took over the Congress, to 2007-2009, when the Democrats took over the Congress.

Here’s what I wrote back then.

"January 1995 - Republicans take over Congress, the budget, and the country’s pocketbook.
Unemployment is 6.2%
November of 1997, nearly 3 years later, the Republicans are still in charge of Congress.
Unemployment is down to 4.3%

January 2007 - Democrats take over Congress, the budget, and the country’s pocketbook.
Unemployment is 5%
November 2009, nearly 3 years later, the Democrats are still in charge of Congress.
Unemployment has doubled to over 10%."

Now, to be fair, unemployment has lowered itself to just above 9% over the last six months. However, it doesn’t take an economics major, or a 4th grader to understand that there's a serious difference in the results produced by these two time periods. The Democrats are in trouble, Congress is unpopular, and it’s obvious why.

So, Congress decides to NOT give itself its pay raise this year, a popular move that should be commended. However, it would truly commendable if Congress gave itself a pay cut, like so many other Americans have received during this economic downturn.