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U.S. Sen. Feingold: Applauds Senate for Rejecting Automatic Back-Door Pay Raise

Contact: Trevor Miller (202) 224-8657

Feingold Cosponsored Amendment this Year with Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) released the following statement today on Senate passage of an amendment he cosponsored this year with Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), that rejects an automatic pay increase for Members of Congress that is scheduled to go into effect in January 2006.

“I am pleased that the Senate today eliminated the stealth pay-raise for Members of Congress set to go into effect at the beginning of next year. Since I was first elected to the Senate, if there was ever a year to stop an automatic pay increase, this is it.

The war in Iraq continues to drain our Treasury at a rate of over $1 billion every week. In the wake of the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita we face a massively expensive relief effort. On top of those enormous fiscal challenges, we are already up to our necks in deficit spending - piling up billions more in debt that our children and grandchildren will have to pay.

Today’s action was a good first step but much more needs to be done to get to the root of the problem. It is an unusual thing to have the power to raise our own pay. Few people have that ability. I have introduced legislation to permanently end this automatic pay raise system, and I hope the Senate will pass it soon.”

Feingold accepts no pay increase throughout his 6-year term, accepting only the rate of pay that Senators were eligible to receive on the date on which he was last sworn in as a Senator. He returns to the Treasury any additional income Senators get during their 6-year term.