It is thanks to the Republicans that the sequester cuts went into effect (although Democrats must accept some blame for agreeing to this stupid idea in the first place). The Republicans were adamant that cuts should be made to all government programs (except military spending, which they love). Why then have they exempted the salaries of themselves and their staff? If the pain of cuts must be shared, then why aren't they sharing in it too?
Unfortunately:
ReplyDeleteAMENDMENT XXVII
Originally proposed Sept. 25, 1789. Ratified May 7, 1992.
No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives shall have intervened.
Neither that amendment, nor any other thing, would prevent any member of Congress from voluntarily returning part of their pay to the U.S. treasury -- which none of them have done.
ReplyDeleteVery true, but these are people who keep claiming that someone making $250,000 is just scraping by, while a teacher making $50-60,000 is really raking it in. Every now and then there is the random congress critter lamenting his near-poverty wages. You would think that a few progressives would step up in solidarity, but without force of law behind it, it is unlikely to happen. Even a movement with high public support would just be ignored
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you that it should happen, and had it been written into the original sequestration bill, it would have happened, since there was an election since then. That particular thing would very likely have prevented all the cuts, since they would have had skin in the game.