Rehberg’s pay raise bill ‘too little too late’
Millionaire Congressman voted for his own pay raise while voting against higher minimum wage for working Montanans
Helena, Mont. – Montana’s millionaire Congressman is scrambling to tell Montana voters today that he is all of a sudden against giving pay raises to members of Congress.
There’s only one problem: Congressman Dennis Rehberg has voted to give himself five pay raises while in Congress, all while continuing to vote against raising the minimum wage for working Montanans. In fact, his pay has gone up nearly $30,000 per year since he first took office. Rehberg is also the 14th wealthiest member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Congressman Rehberg is running in circles trying to change the record that he will always have: he has voted to give himself five taxpayer-funded pay raises while in Congress,” said Ted Dick, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “We’re glad to see Congressman Rehberg finally follow Jon Tester’s lead in introducing legislation to put the brakes on congressional pay raises, but it’s too little too late.”
Tester introduced legislation weeks ago to end automatic pay raises for Congress. Tester has never voted to give himself a congressional pay raise.
Here is what Congressman Dennis Rehberg promised Montanans in 1996, the first time he ran for the U.S. Senate:
“I can honestly tell you I have never voted for a pay raise, nor have I accepted one as a legislator, as Lieutenant Governor, and I will not vote for, nor accept a pay raise as a United States Senator and that is a promise. I will not take a cost of living increase, because that’s a hidden pay raise. If I have to take it, I will donate it to a Montana charity. I do not believe in the multi-million dollar pensions that these guys give themselves. They go back poor and come back rich. That’s not right. That’s a promise.” [Yellowstone Public Radio, Jackie Yamanaka and Jim Gransberry, hosts, 5/17/96]
“As much as he tries to make up for it now, Congressman Rehberg forgot his pay raise promise,” Dick said. “He forgot the fact that he squandered a $130 billion dollar surplus the first year he was in office, and he forgot that he has a record he can’t shake of spending money on our credit card like nobody’s business.”
Rehberg has voted against efforts to block the annual cost-of-living increases that Members of Congress receive 5 times during his ten years in Congress. Rehberg has supported a majority of efforts to enact a Congressional pay raise.
REHBERG ON PAY RAISES
Rehberg Supported Congressional Pay Raise, Voted to Raise His Own Pay by $3,300 in 2006. In 2006, Rehberg voted to raise his own pay by $3,300 to $168,500. Rehberg voted to kill an amendment that would block an automatic pay hike for members of Congress. By killing the attempt to block the pay raise, Rehberg voted to receive a 2 percent increase and an annual salary of $165,200. The effort to block the anti-pay raise amendment passed 249-167. (H RES 865, Vote #261, 6/13/06; Congressional Research Service, Salaries for Members of Congress: Congressional Votes) NOTE: This pay raise was later blocked by the Democratic Congress in 2007.
- HEADLINE – House Lawmakers Accept $3,300 Pay Hike. As reported by the AP, “House lawmakers Tuesday embraced a $3,300 pay raise that will increase their salaries to $168,500. The 2 percent cost-of-living raise would be the seventh straight for members of the House and Senate. Lawmakers easily squelched a bid by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to get a direct vote to block the COLA, which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it…But by a 249-167 vote, the House rejected Matheson's procedural attempt to get a direct vote on the pay raise.” [AP, 6/13/06]
Rehberg Supported Congressional Pay Raise, Voted to Raise His Own Pay $3,100 in 2005. In 2005, Rehberg voted to raise his own pay by $3,100 to $165,200. Rehberg voted in favor of a measure intended to prevent the introduction of an amendment blocking an increase in the annual salary for House members by $3,100 to $165,000. The House blocked a bid by Congressman Jim Matheson (D-UT) to force an up-or-down vote on the pay raise. The effort to block the anti-pay raise amendment passed 263-152. (HR 342, Vote #327, 6/28/05)
- HEADLINE – Congress OKs Raise Despite Matheson. As reported by the Deseret Morning News, “Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, tried again -- and failed again -- to persuade his colleagues to reject the automatic congressional pay raise that is wrapped inside an appropriations bill. ‘We are at war, and that requires shared sacrifices,’ Matheson said. ‘Let us send a signal to the American people that Congress gets it. A little belt-tightening wouldn't hurt anyone around here.’” [Deseret Morning News, 6/30/05]
Rehberg Supported Congressional Pay Raise, Voted to Raise His Own Pay by $4,000 in 2004. In 2004, Rehberg voted to raise his own pay by $4,000 to $162,100. Rehberg voted in favor of a motion to order the previous question (thus ending debate and possibility of amendment) on adoption of the rule to provide for House floor consideration of the bill that would appropriate $89.8 billion in fiscal 2005 for the departments of Treasury and Transportation and related agencies. If the motion had been defeated, an amendment to block the Congressional pay raise would have been allowed. The motion passed 235-170. (H Res 770, Vote #451, 9/14/04)
- HEADLINE – U.S. House Members Vote to Give Themselves Salary Increase. [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 9/16/04]
Rehberg Supported Congressional Pay Raise, Voted to Raise His Own Pay by $3,400 in 2003. In 2003, Rehberg voted to raise his own pay by $3,400 to $158,100. Rehberg voted in favor of a motion to order the previous question (thus ending debate and possibility of amendment) on adoption of the rule to provide for House floor consideration of the bill that would appropriate $89.6 billion in fiscal 2004 spending, including $27.5 billion in discretionary spending, for the departments of Treasury and Transportation and related agencies. If the motion had been defeated, an amendment to block the Congressional pay raise would have been allowed. The motion passed 240-173. (H. Res. 351, Vote #463, 9/4/03)
- HEADLINE – Another Pay Raise for Congress? House Approves Measure to Give Lawmakers a 2.2 Percent Boost. As reported by the AP, “The House on Thursday approved a 2.2 percent pay raise for Congress — slightly less than average wage increases in private business but enough to boost lawmakers' annual salaries to about $158,000 next year. The House members decided to allow themselves a fifth straight cost-of-living raise after rejecting them for several years during the 1990s. Their annual pay has risen from $136,700 in 1999 to about $158,000 in 2004, if the legislation clears Congress and is signed by the president. Their salary this year is $154,700. [AP, 9/4/03]
Rehberg Supported Congressional Pay Raise, Voted to Raise His Own Pay by $4,700 in 2002. In 2002, Rehberg voted to raise his own pay by $4,700 to $154,700. Rehberg voted in favor of a motion to order the previous question (thus ending debate and possibility of amendment) on adoption of the rule to provide for House floor consideration of the bill that would appropriate $35.1 billion in fiscal 2003 Treasury-Postal appropriations. If the motion had been defeated, an amendment to block the Congressional pay raise would have been allowed. The motion passed 258-156. (H. Res. 488, Vote #322, 7/18/02)
- HEADLINE – House Clears Way for $5K Pay Raise. (AP, 7/18/02)
- HEADLINE – Lawmakers Give Themselves Pay Increase to $155,000. (Roll Call, 7/22/02)
REHBERG ON THE MINIMUM WAGE
Rehberg Opposed Raising the Minimum Wage In 1996. “I don’t want to cost Montanans a job because an employer cannot afford to hire them,” said Rehberg. “I think there are better alternatives.” [Livingston Enterprise, 6/24/96]
Rehberg Opposed Raising the Minimum Wage In 2006. This time during debate of the Pledge Protection Act. The rule for debating the bill offered by the GOP leadership prohibited Democrats from offering the increase. When Democrats protested, Republicans voted to kill the Democratic attempt. [HR 2389, Vote #382, 7/19/06; Leadership Document, “Democrats are Fighting for a New Direction: A Pay Raise for Millions of Americans,” 7/19/06] The motion passed 224-200. [HR2389, Vote #382, 7/19/06]
Rehberg Opposed Raising the Minimum Wage in 2007. Rehberg voted against increasing the minimum wage from by $2.10 an hour to $7.25 an hour. [CQ House Action Reports, No. 110-3, 3/20/07] The measure passed 218-212. [HR 1591, Vote #186, 3/23/07]
