Apparently not... In fact, the Senate voted to kill its Own Pay Raise, which makes this meme even more laughable.
http://www.rollcall.com/news/senate_votes_to_kill_its_own_pay_raise-220443-1.html
Buried in the fiscal cliff deal passed by the Senate early Tuesday morning is a provision to halt a scheduled salary increase for members of Congress themselves.
The bill contains a one-sentence provision that would block a scheduled cost-of-living adjustment for representatives and senators that is due to take place when the continuing resolution under which the federal government is currently operating expires on March 27. Congressional pay has not been increased since 2009, in part because the vote is so unpopular with the public given the recent recession, the push for deficit reduction and the high disapproval ratings of Congress.
Sen.
Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said Monday that she planned to introduce legislation to stop the Congressional salary hike. But she made those comments before
an agreement was reachedbetween Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. That deal included a provision rescinding the pay hike tucked inside of the 157-page package.
The provision has bipartisan support, including from Sen.
Mark Begich, D-Alaska.
Some Republicans, however, want to go further and extend a blockade on most federal civilian pay raises. President Barack Obama issued an executive order last week that would increase pay for the bulk of civilian employees by 0.5 percent, which has drawn the ire of Republicans on both ends of the Capitol.
“At a time when our country is facing record debt and trillion dollar deficits, the last thing Washington should do is reward itself with a pay increase. I am calling on President Obama to withdraw his recent Executive Order raising federal salaries — including for Members of Congress,” Ohio Republican Sen.
Rob Portman, a former Office of Management and Budget director, said in a Dec. 31 statement.
“Until a long-term deficit reduction agreement is reached, we should not consider increasing the pay for Congress,” Portman said.
