Congressman Gerry Connolly voted on April 27 in the U.S. House of Representatives to cancel the automatic pay raise that House and Senate members are scheduled to receive on October 1.
This marks the second year in a row that Connolly voted to deny a pay raise to himself and his colleagues in the Congress. Legislation passed in 1989 made congressional cost-of-living pay raises automatic unless Congress votes to block it, as it did last year.
"In the midst of the steepest economic decline in 80 years, this is no time for Congress to give itself a pay raise," Connolly said. "As someone who takes the deficit seriously, I believe Congress must do everything possible to reduce red ink. If deficit reduction doesn't start with us, where will it start?"
"There are not many Northern Virginians who get an automatic pay raise every year, particularly during these tough economic times," Connolly said.