Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA32, continued to champion fiscal responsibility and discipline today by voting for H.R. 5146, the bipartisan bill to stop automatic pay increases for Members of Congress in FY 2011. This is another step Rep. Chu has taken to lead America in a new direction by working to build a strong foundation for our economy.
"As long as our families and businesses continue to suffer as we work to recover from the failed economic policies of the last Administration, I cannot in good conscience support a pay increase for myself or my colleagues in Congress," said Rep. Chu. "American families are being forced to tighten their belts and so must we. Our focus right now must be on getting people back to work, strengthening our economy and reducing the deficit."
This bill passed the House today by a vote of 402 to 15 and awaits further action in the Senate. In 1989, Congress approved a process that provides lawmakers with an automatic pay raise unless they vote specifically to reject the raise. Last year, the Democratic Congress was successful in blocking the FY 2010 pay raise after voting for similar legislation, H.R. 156, which also garnered bipartisan support.