Congress gives itself a raise as it sees fit, BUT...........?
924181
Hey!!! We just got the house and Senate back....Give us a little time!!!
875872
coming from someone who is in a labor union i would say that if minimum wage goes up than our wages would go up as well because they use minimum wage as kind of a baseline to gauge all other wages. but im not really sure just a guess.
1084970
$3000 a year, next they are going to take up the minimum wage. They do not think there is enough support for that to pass. Ever wonder why I don't like repukes? Last mininum wage raise was 10 years ago. Sad but true.
124075
You would think so, and so would congress, and on paper it probaly does.  But the national budget for the last few years has meant nothing at all.  Absolutley nothing.  We spend even though we don't have, so what does it matter that we're off by a couple of trillion? Congress can always just allot more money for whatever as it goes along.
675509
Congress allocates where the money goes.
476924
The United States Congress is currently considering a law that would increase minimum wage to about $7.25. I am just above the current minimum wage and would love to make $7.25, the only problem is economic effects that this could have on the country. Due to the huge rise in wages companies would have to pay out, they would be forced to raise prices to make up for that difference. That would cause the standard of living to increase, which would have a negative impact on our economy and perhaps bringing us back to this same issue. Again I do believe in a high minimum wage, but perhaps (and hopefully) smaller increases over a long period of time would remedy this problem.
334947
At one time I managed a restaurant that was part of a nation wide chain of restaurants and I had the Regional Director explain the process to me. When Congress passes a law raising the minimum wage, companies raise their prices to cover the increase in paying the employees. They usually raise them well before the date so that when the increase in the minimum wage takes place the company will have a reserve of cash. Now if the minimum wage increase is small enough some companies will not change their prices as it isn't' cost effective to change every store, computer programs, and paperwork.
1171082
Yea, they voted down the minimum wage increase, which hasn't been raised in a decade, and effectively gives a person $466.00 a month to "live" on, while they get a $3,400 raise. Nice of them since almost all are millionaires!\n\nAnd Congress wants to give more of their power away\nand give bush a line item veto!! ARE THEY NUTS??\n\nWhy do we need a Congress? Bush can submit his own budget and sign it.\n\nCan you imagine the thought of being a state that voted against Bush??
1159478
It made a few papers, but probably not front page.\nIt's an automatic cost of living adjustment.  The only way they do not receive it is if they vote against it. \n\nHere is the small story from The Seattle Times, concerning the COLA\nI wonder if Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, was beaten up during "recess". LOL\n______________________\n____________________\nHouse lawmakers take $3,300 pay raise\n\n\nWASHINGTON — Despite record low approval ratings, House lawmakers Tuesday embraced a $3,300 pay raise that would increase their salaries to $168,500.\n\nThe 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) would be the seventh straight for members of the House and Senate. Lawmakers easily squelched an attempt by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to get a direct vote to block the increase, which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it.\n\nIn the early days of GOP control of Congress, lawmakers routinely denied themselves the annual COLA.
75080
Ours is an overall 51% while theirs is higher. We only work until July 7th for Uncle Sam and hard telling how long they do it. Both are rising.
908407
In some states that had a referendum on it...It will go up nationally in January with The democrats take over the house and senate...They tried to raise it last year but the Republicans blocked it from coming to a vote/....
1170427
Should u even need an explanation? The cost of living increase is an average of 4% a year and more than that in some places. Hell you need a raise just to cover the expense for gas!! Why hesitate to ask for what u deserve?? Im sure that whomever u work for has increased their prices for whatever it may be that u do. So Im not sure what the prob is except that you are being a puss! Stand up for your darn self!
1050832
It was the Senate, not Congress.  S.Amdt. 4322 to S. 2766\n\nAll Republicans except for 8 (4 of whom are up for re-election) voted down on it. All Democrats voted for it. Contrary to popular belief, most minimum wage workers are adults and a majority of them are women.\n\nRemarkably, Congress has raised their own pay seven times (over $30,000) since the last time they raised the pay of minimum wage workers.\n\nNays:\nAlexander (R-TN)\nAllard (R-CO)\nAllen (R-VA)\nBennett (R-UT)\nBond (R-MO)\nBrownback (R-KS)\nBunning (R-KY)\nBurns (R-MT)\nBurr (R-NC)\nChambliss (R-GA)\nCoburn (R-OK)\nCochran (R-MS)\nCornyn (R-TX)\nCraig (R-ID)\nCrapo (R-ID)\nDeMint (R-SC)\n Dole (R-NC)\nDomenici (R-NM)\nEnsign (R-NV)\nEnzi (R-WY)\nFrist (R-TN)\nGraham (R-SC)\nGrassley (R-IA)\nGregg (R-NH)\nHagel (R-NE)\nHatch (R-UT)\nHutchison (R-TX)\nInhofe (R-OK)\nIsakson (R-GA)\nKyl (R-AZ)\nLott (R-MS)\nMartinez (R-FL)\n McCain (R-AZ)\nMcConnell (R-KY)\nMurkowski (R-AK)\nRoberts (R-KS)\nSantorum (R-PA)\nSessions (R-AL)\nSmith (R-OR)\nStevens (R-AK)\nSununu (R-NH)\nTalent (R-MO)\nThomas (R-WY)\nThune (R-SD)\nVitter (R-LA)\nVoinovich (R-OH)
278898
It's quite possible.  The same way that representatives bring up all these great plans right at the end of the term, come home for the summer while Congress is out of session, campaign and then return to "finish the job."  Then, right after the elections, a lot of the bills that the same reps were proposing and talking about die in committees, because they never really cared about them other than to talk about.
1179825
Because it is legal for them to do so. I wish I could vote myself a raise!!!
1109536
It is total bullshit.\n\nLast year the federal minimum wage at $5.15 per hour was $3.50 below in purchasing power of what it was in 1968. Today's minimum wage has the lowest purchasing power since 1949 when economic productivity per worker was a fraction of what it is today, when the super-rich corporate bosses had not become hyper-rich averaging over $8000 an hour. \n\nThe last increase to $5.15 per hour was in 1997. Except for one year of restraint, members of Congress have zipped their annual pay grab through the House and Senate every year. Just the increases in that period amount to about three times the annual minimum wage income for millions of American laborers. No wonder poverty has been on the increase. \n\nRest assured, neither the Democratic nor the Republican leadership will stop their annual pay raise. The House already has passed their pay grab. Shame is a rare commodity when it comes to the moral authority to govern. \n\nWhy do we let them get away with such Marie Antoinette values?
398204
It sounds that it can work, but let the congress finish the details panchita.