Pelosi: Congressional pay cut undermines dignity of the job

[petegz28]

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that she opposes a cut in congressional pay because it would diminish the dignity of lawmakers' jobs.

"I don't think we should do it; I think we should respect the work we do," Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol. "I think it's necessary for us to have the dignity of the job that we have rewarded."

The comments were made in the context of the looming sequester, which would force across-the-board cuts affecting most federal offices, including Congress. With lawmakers nowhere near a deal to avert those cuts, federal agencies are bracing for ways to absorb them with minimum damage to programs and personnel.

Pelosi, whose husband is a wealthy real-estate developer, was quick to note that a cut in her own pay would be far less significant than that for both staffers and less wealthy members of Congress.

"It's a hard question to ask me because most of my colleagues are the breadwinners in their families," she said. "A pay cut to me doesn't mean as much."

She also emphasized that Congress should do everything it can to preclude such decisions by preventing the sequester cuts from taking effect at all.

"A sequester should be out of the question," she said.

Still, with the clock ticking down to March 1 – and with both chambers of Congress out of town next week – the chances of reaching a deal are growing slimmer. With that in mind, some lawmakers say they're hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

"We are, in fact, obviously contemplating a sequester," Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said this week. "Obviously we are going to take a cut, like everybody else, and we will have to accommodate that."


Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/28...#ixzz2KvLoqxmS
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[Pitt Gorilla]

They should get minimum wage.

[KC_Lee]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Yeah...so what? Drudge has a link to this story, big freaking deal.

How does that change what Congresswoman Pelosi said?

And if the dignity of the job is undermined by a pay cut what does that say about those in the private sector, myself included, that have had to take pay cuts just to keep thier jobs?

[alpha_omega]

Originally Posted by Brock

Nancy Pelosi has a net worth of 35 million dollars. **** you, Nancy.

Yep...i was thinking the same thing. She's cak'n...what is she worried about.

[Rooster]

Originally Posted by Brock

Nancy Pelosi has a net worth of 35 million dollars. **** you, Nancy.

It's ok. She is a Dem so she is one of the good millioniares.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by alpha_omega

Yep...i was thinking the same thing. She's cak'n...what is she worried about.

Originally Posted by petegz28

Pelosi, whose husband is a wealthy real-estate developer, was quick to note that a cut in her own pay would be far less significant than that for both staffers and less wealthy members of Congress.

"It's a hard question to ask me because most of my colleagues are the breadwinners in their families," she said. "A pay cut to me doesn't mean as much."

.

[KChiefer]

On the one hand, the more you cut their actual pay, the more outside money will have influence. Still, if congress voted to cut their own pay their approval rating would receive a much needed bump.

[mikey23545]

After all, it's hard to overstate the dignity of Congress...

[driver2]

Had a thought about this when she was speaker of the house a few years ago.
Got angry that my tax dollers were going to pay for her trips back and forth to LA-LA land every weekend.

Since she is a Ca Representative her salary, perks, staff should be paid by the people who elected her.

The same for Harry Reid and his good buddies.

Alll US senators and Reps salaries benefits staff's should be funded by the states they represent.

Shift this expense to the individual states.

The FED could get some major cuts to the Budget.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by driver2

Had a thought about this when she was speaker of the house a few years ago.
Got angry that my tax dollers were going to pay for her trips back and forth to LA-LA land every weekend.

Since she is a Ca Representative her salary, perks, staff should be paid by the people who elected her.

The same for Harry Reid and his good buddies.

Alll US senators and Reps salaries benefits staff's should be funded by the states they represent.

Shift this expense to the individual states.

The FED could get some major cuts to the Budget.

Funny your apparent outrage on this issue stems from two Democrats. It's a federal government job. Stop being so stupid.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

.

Nothing to see here, folks. She doesn't care about her own pay. She's just looking out for her less fortunate in congress who are in the bottom half of the 1%ers.

[KChiefer]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

Funny your apparent outrage on this issue stems from two Democrats. It's a federal government job. Stop being so stupid.

Glad I wasn't the only one that noticed the void of GOPs contributing to this problem.

[Iowanian]

Someone should remind her that they are "dignified" with benefits for life....unlike the rest of working America.

[KC_Lee]

Originally Posted by KChiefer

Glad I wasn't the only one that noticed the void of GOPs contributing to this problem.

What problem?

That members of Congress might get their pay cut?

That these so call representatives of the America people might have to do what most of the American population has had to do, figure out how to make ends meet with a pay cut, these past few years?

I fail to see how that is a problem. Both sides of the aisle could use a reality check an understand how the rest of us have to live and what people outside of the DC power structure have had to do.

[bevischief]

Originally Posted by |Zach|

Most politicians make less than I expect but obviously the direct and indirect benefits are innumerable.

Originally Posted by Brock

Nancy Pelosi has a net worth of 35 million dollars. **** you, Nancy.

Originally Posted by 2bikemike

That's true, I would prefer we fire the whole lot and start over.

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

So if we cut taxes for the rich, Nancy thinks that's evil. But if we cut income for the rich, she doesn't like that. Hypocrisy?

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

She undermines the dignity of the US as well as the dipshits that keep electing her.

See above.

[KChiefer]

Originally Posted by KC_Lee

What problem?

That members of Congress might get their pay cut?

That these so call representatives of the America people might have to do what most of the American population has had to do, figure out how to make ends meet with a pay cut, these past few years?

I fail to see how that is a problem. Both sides of the aisle could use a reality check an understand how the rest of us have to live and what people outside of the DC power structure have had to do.

The problem of them being a burden on the tax payer. The noob referenced the money grubbing Reid and Pelosi as being the problem as if McCain doesn't fly back and forth.