McCaskill Continues Push to End Automatic Raises for Congress

Press Release

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today reintroduced bipartisan legislation to end automatic pay raises for members of Congress, continuing her efforts to cut spending and bolster accountability in government.

"Most hardworking Missourians don't get automatic pay raises, and members of Congress shouldn't either," said McCaskill, a former Missouri State Auditor. "If members of Congress feel they're deserving of a raise, they should have to vote on it publicly, not rewarded each year by an outdated law that makes their pay raises automatic."

Under current law, members of Congress automatically receive yearly cost-of-living pay increases unless members vote to stop the increase. McCaskill has helped stop several individual yearly pay raises since arriving in the Senate. Due in part to her efforts, Congressional members have not received a pay raise since 2009.

McCaskill's legislation--which she is introducing with Republican Senator David Vitter of Louisiana--would eliminate the provision in law that provides for an annual automatic pay raise for members of Congress and therefore require Congress to pass legislation in order to raise its pay.

McCaskill had previously introduced legislation that would cut pay for members of Congress if federal employees are furloughed due to the automatic budget cuts known as the sequester. Each year, McCaskill donates a portion of her salary back to the U.S. treasury, or to charity.

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