Sen. Ben Sasse slammed House Democrats for attempting to raise congressional pay without first addressing the budget.
“No budget, no raise. Instead of writing a budget or reforming our bankrupt entitlement programs, House Democrats are angling for a pay raise,” the Nebraska senator said in a Tuesday statement. “These jokers couldn’t hold down a summer job at Dairy Queen pulling this kinda crap.”
Sasse’s comments come as House Democrats proposed a $4,500 raise for congressional members, who have been paid $174,000 annually since 2009. Democrats included the pay increase in their 2020 spending bill, but Sasse said he wants a budget approved first before a pay raise is considered.
In 2010, Republicans overturned annual cost-of-living salary increases. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer led the effort to enact a cost-of-living raise, which he said was not legally a pay raise.
“That was taken to court; the court ruled it was not a pay raise, it was an adjustment on an annual basis for inflation,” the Maryland Democrat said Tuesday to reporters. Hoyer pointed out that real pay raises are not allowed to take effect until the next Congress.
Hoyer said housing costs and rules that require members to make more than their staff as reasons to increase congressional pay.
Last month, Sasse led a successful bid by Republicans to implement a permanent ban on earmarks in the Senate.
