Meet the 15 congressmen who voted for a raise on their $174,000 salary (unemployment, wages)

[SpeedyAZ]

Originally Posted by jcarlilesiu

Sorry for thinking you were nuts and totally out of touch with reality.

$669 PER DAY sure is tough to make ends meet.

Never said it was tough to make ends meet, but when you consider the number of positions that pay more with much less responsibility, $174K/ year does not compete.

I realize that these people are public servants and should not run for the position because of the salary. In today's world, $174K is NOT an overly generous salary for the amount of crap that many of these members of Congress have to contend with day in and day out.

[Old Gringo]

Originally Posted by GiantRutgersfan

These are the 15 Representatives who voted against freezing their salaries and felt they deserved a raise above their $174,000 annual salary. 402 voted in favor of the freeze.



James Enos "Jim" Clyburn (born July 21, 1940) is an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 6th congressional district of South Carolina (map). A Democrat, he represents South Carolina's only majority-black district, which includes Florence, Sumter and large portions of Columbia and Charleston.




John Conyers, Jr. (born May 16, 1929) is a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Michigan's 14th congressional district, which includes most of northwestern Detroit, as well as Highland Park, Hamtramck and part of Dearborn. A Democrat, he has served since 1965 (the district was numbered as the 1st District until 1993). In January 2007, Conyers became chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in the 110th United States Congress; he had been the committee's ranking Democrat since 1997.



Donna F. Edwards (born June 28, 1958) is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Maryland's 4th congressional district. The district includes most of Prince George's County, as well as part of Montgomery County.




Keith Maurice Ellison (born August 4, 1963) is an American lawyer, politician, and a Democrat. He became the first Muslim[1][2] to be elected to the United States Congress when he won the open seat for Minnesota's 5th congressional district, which centers on Minneapolis, in the House of Representatives in 2006. He is also the first African American elected to the House from Minnesota, currently serving in the 111th United States Congress.[3] Ellison is also active on a national level in advocacy for Muslims in the United States.[4][5][6][7]



Sheila Jackson Lee (born January 12, 1950) is an American politician. She has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995. She represents Texas's 18th congressional district.




Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (born June 25, 1945, Detroit, Michigan) is an American politician and mother of former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. She has been a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997. Since the 2002 redistricting, she has represented the 13th District comprising most of Detroit and portions of Downriver. She served as the Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus in the 110th Congress (2007-8).



Barbara Jean Lee (born July 16, 1946), is an American politician, and has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1998, representing California's 9th congressional district. She is the first woman to represent that district. Lee is the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and was the Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Lee is notable as the only person in either chamber of Congress who voted against the authorization of use of force following the September 11, 2001 attacks.[1] This made her a hero among many in the anti-war movement.[2] Lee has been a vocal critic of the war in Iraq and supports legislation creating a Department of Peace.



Gregory Weldon Meeks (born September 25, 1953 to Brian Carpenter), American politician, has been a liberal Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1998, representing New York's 6th congressional district, which includes most of Southeastern Queens including Jamaica, Laurelton, Rosedale, Saint Albans, Springfield Gardens, and Far Rockaway, as well as John F. Kennedy International Airport. His district is made up mainly of middle-class and upper middle-class African-American communities, but also includes a small part of Ozone Park and part of Howard Beach known as Old Howard Beach, both of which are mainly made up of middle-class Italian-Americans. He also represents much of Kew Gardens and northern Richmond Hill, middle-class white and South Asian neighborhoods.




James Patrick "Jim" Moran, Jr. (pronounced /mɵˈræn/; born May 16, 1945) has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1991. He represents Virginia's 8th congressional district, an area located in Northern Virginia that includes the cities of Falls Church and Alexandria, as well as a portion of Fairfax County and the entirety of Arlington County. He sits as a member on the House Committee on Appropriations and co-founded the Democratic Leadership Council in the mid-1990s.[1]
Jim Moran was the mayor of Alexandria, Virginia for five years from 1985 to 1990, when he resigned to run for Congress. He defeated Republican incumbent Stanford Parris in the general election on November 6, 1990, and was sworn in the following January. Since then he has served eleven consecutive terms as a member of the Congress. He is of Irish American descent and is the brother of former Virginia State Delegate and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brian Moran, as well as the son of professional Football player James Patrick Moran, Sr.[2]




Donald Milford "Don" Payne (b. July 16, 1934, Newark, New Jersey) is an American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey who represents the state's 10th Congressional district[1] in the United States House of Representatives, which encompasses most of the city of Newark, parts of Jersey City and Elizabeth, and some suburban communities in Essex and Union counties. He is the first African American to represent New Jersey in Congress.[2]




Melvin Luther (Mel) Watt (born August 26, 1945), American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1993, representing the North Carolina's 12th congressional district.



Bennie G. Thompson (born January 28, 1948 in Bolton, Mississippi) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the 2nd District of Mississippi (map) since 1993. The district includes most of Jackson and is the only majority-black district in the state. The district is approximately 275 miles (443 km) long, 180 miles (290 km) wide and borders the Mississippi River. The Mississippi Delta comprises the vast majority of the 2nd District. He is both the first Democrat and the first African American to chair the Homeland Security Committee in the House.



Edolphus "Ed" Towns (born July 21, 1934) is an American politician and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 10th District of New York based in Brooklyn, and including such communities such as Fort Greene, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Cypress Hills, East New York and Canarsie. A Democrat, he has served in the House since 1983. On December 10, 2008, the House Democratic Caucus formally elected Rep. Towns as Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The previous chairman Henry Waxman defeated John Dingell to become Energy and Commerce Committee chair.



Lynn C. Woolsey (born November 3, 1937) is an American politician and educator from Petaluma in Sonoma County, California. She is a member of the Democratic Party and a U.S. Representative since 1993, representing California's 6th congressional district (map). The district includes all of Marin County and most of Sonoma County. She gained attention when she became the first Representative to call for a troop withdrawal from Iraq. She is a prominent member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and as of 2010 its co-chair.







Congress, where 44 percent are millionaires, freezes salaries | KansasCity.com Prime Buzz




Congress is so out of touch with what is going on in this country. I dont care what party they are, vote your incumbent out of office. Congress is such a mess.

I get it!

A few black democrats seeking an increase to their $174K salary is unacceptable.

But a few thousand CEOs granting themselves 6-7 figure annual bonuses, well, that's just capitalism for you.

Let's all hate the black democrats.

[Mike from back east]

Having lived in the DC area with its high cost of living, a congress person's salary of $179k/year does not allow much in the way of extravagant living, especially since most of them are paying for homes back in their district for their family to live in.

Just building a wardrobe of suits, shirts, shoes, etc, that do justice to being in the seat of government starts at $10k.

[jcarlilesiu]

Originally Posted by SpeedyAZ

but when you consider the number of positions that pay more with much less responsibility, $174K/ year does not compete.

This is pure envy. Nothing more nothing less. The basis of peoples pay isn't on how important their jobs are viewed, but rather on what the market dictates.

In the whole realm of things, 174K is an outstanding salary in this country and unheard of in most of the world.

That should be enough. I certainly don't go through my own life with envy to what everybody else has. What a terrible way to live life.

Originally Posted by SpeedyAZ

I realize that these people are public servants and should not run for the position because of the salary. In today's world, $174K is NOT an overly generous salary for the amount of crap that many of these members of Congress have to contend with day in and day out.

If that were the case, and the constituents of these representatives agreed, then I think a raise is fine. I doubt very highly that is the case in these soft economic times.

[cobolt]

Originally Posted by randyrr

How many Black people are in the House of Reps? It seems their voting for this bill is completely disproportional per their population.

After seeing a few interviews she did after that little stunt (and the motion to declare Michael Jackson day or whatever) I am astonished that people would ever vote for such a clueless person, but, the American public is mainly clueless.

[jcarlilesiu]

Originally Posted by Old Gringo

But a few thousand CEOs granting themselves 6-7 figure annual bonuses, well, that's just capitalism for you.

Let's all hate the black democrats.

The progressive logic for everything.

Its based on envy and victimization.

Case and point.

[SpeedyAZ]

Originally Posted by jcarlilesiu

This is pure envy. Nothing more nothing less. The basis of peoples pay isn't on how important their jobs are viewed, but rather on what the market dictates.

In the whole realm of things, 174K is an outstanding salary in this country and unheard of in most of the world.

That should be enough. I certainly don't go through my own life with envy to what everybody else has. What a terrible way to live life. .

How exactly is my post "envious"? I don't envy these people for having to put up with what they do each and every day.

If you think I'm envious of their salary...sorry but I make 6 figures, not quite what they make but not too shabby.

Can't see where you think I'm envious at all.

[Ina Van Down By The River]

Originally Posted by Fleet

Notice that they are all Democrats? Why am I not surprised?

not only that but 99% of the are black. What's up wit dat?

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Having lived in the DC area with its high cost of living, a congress person's salary of $179k/year does not allow much in the way of extravagant living, especially since most of them are paying for homes back in their district for their family to live in.

Just building a wardrobe of suits, shirts, shoes, etc, that do justice to being in the seat of government starts at $10k.

One of the few times I agree with you on anything is about the cost of DC.
It should also be remembered that many Senators and Representatives are millionaires (I'm not going to Google the stats).
Many elected officials make the rounds of lobbyist/movers and shakers parties in the evening so they get free meals most nights.
They also have the expense of maintaining two residences, one here and one back home, although Moran (NoVA) and Edwards (suburban MD) can't really claim that with a straight face.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by jcarlilesiu

You wouldn't have this same opinion if all 15 people were Republican and everybody on this forum knows it.

You don't speak for the people on this forum, particularly not the intelligent ones. I don't meanwhile recall referring to any of these individuals or to their party affiliation. Congresspersons are grossly underpaid. Period. That applies to Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. The law as it exists calls for a Congressional pay increase to go into effect in 2011 unless Congress votes to refuse it. They voted to refuse it by 402-15. That isn't close. The 15 who voted to receive the raise knew that this was not going to happen. What is your issue?

Originally Posted by jcarlilesiu

You would be in this thread, throwing an absolute fit if they were all Republicans. Your partisan nature makes you one of the least respected posters on this forum. This thread is proof.

I ask fact and reason to drive my thinking. That's what I get paid for in the real world, and it of course spills over into the time I spend on C-D. If I would appear partisan in my crticism here, it is because those arguments that fall catastrophically short of meeting the standards of fact and reason come overwhelmingly from right-wingers. Clean up your act, and you will have far less to fear from me. Keep spouting your low-grade garbage, and I will attack it where I see it. Have a really nice day.