NO WAY...we already pay their health care, they receive this pay the rest of their life and it should have been a HUGE part of the CUTS made during this Fiscal Cliff fiasco....minimum wage workers JUST got a raise but with the new payroll tax they are LOSING money..as well as everyone else...recipe for disaster. New jobs will be WELFARE. What I learned is: people work, spend for their needs, and the economy supports itself. Simple? Our jobs are GONE overseas. Can you say DEPRESSION?

I agree with Karol. No way should they get a raise. They make more than enough right now. Give a descent raise to the working class that really deserve it. I don't know where some people's brains are. Use your head and do the right thing. Help the working class more. We are the ones that need a raise. And a big one at that.
Thank you!

I would like a job where I don't get my job done and still get a nice 5-10% raise. The same people who gave themselves a raise are the ones complaining about how much money the Federal Government is spending. Now that is irony.

Starting in March, Congress voted to give themselves a raise. We are heading for disaster....as people bring home less money....less spending...rents go up every year....as far as I know, Congress never even discussed their benefits/salaries, paid by the taxpayers....seems like this was to save themselves...GOD help us all.

Wow !!! The above 3 comments from the uninformed is actually what is partially the problem with the economy. And that is "no clue" how things work. Granted Congress needs a kick in the pants but to broad brush all Civil Service employees with the same brush is ludicrous. If you want answers to questions that you obviously don't have go, to the Office of Personnel Management OPM and look some of your issues up for validity. Remember those civil service jobs you complain about are open to you also, if you qualify.

Roger,
As a person who works as a Federal Government Contractor I tend to have a good deal of knowledge over what the Federal Government is doing. There are a number of Federal Jobs that do deserve a pay raise, but there are many, many more than do not. There is a reason that many Federal Operations are going bankrupt and failing and it isn't because enough money isn't coming in as gross profit. It is because under performing people are getting over paid (See U.S. Postal Service). This includes those we vote into office, in my opinion there should be term limits for all elected offices but that is another conversation. We complain about the overspending of the government, and those elected officals complain about overspending. But then give themselves a raise. I'm sorry that people feel they are underpaid for Federal Jobs, but if you don't like it enter the private sector.

No way do they deserve a raise! They have not done their jobs, they work for every citizen of the United States but they only think of themselves and what they want. If they truly wanted to help the economy they would take a pay cut and live on a very tight budget like the rest of us do

Sure, why not. It's not real money!

No way and their medical benefits need cutting too- they don't deserve anything better than anyone else- a job is a job.

If I had a vote it would be "NO!" Many government workers do deserve a rais but not Congress. They get their salary paid for life and their insurance as well, with NO deductibes or co-pays.

NO WAY...........as a school board employee I am barley making it financially.

NO! They work less than a Miami snow blower! Most people feel blessed to be working even without a raise. Congress and Senate have no idea how it feels not to be able to vacation for years because you have bills to pay. They should not have privelage health care over the people who voted them in. Have we forgotten these are public servants? These positions should never have been allowed to become careers.

The big question is what have they done to deserve a raise? From what I can tell through reading the paper and listening to the news, they have done very little except to divide this country in a way it has not been dived for decades. That certainly does not merit a raise.

sorry for typo "divided"

Email this President? Like he cares about our concerns. Pleeeeeease - his idea of creating employment is more government. Sorry but my money is in the small businesses not government employees to create jobs. I am so sick and tired of trying to get something out of our politicians (both sides) and hearing nothing but Blah Blah Blah. There are very few left who really care about American values. Most only care about getting elected again therefore offering all the freebies that the true workers have to pay for.

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/c0.0.386.386/p403x403/283861_357452420999296_1764162464_n.jpg

It's an outrage but it's obvious those in power have absolutely no respect for the people. Most people now vote for politicians who promise them something for nothing, politicians who play Robin Hood while sinking this country down it's current path. They know stories like this will be buried by the TERROR of "fiscal cliffs" and the solutions that only put things off. It's disturbing and beyond most people's comprehensions. Disturbing, disgusting, disgraceful and now the norm. But how about Kim Kardashian?

The Fiscal Cliff legislation which is in process of going thru is erroneously believed to be entirely a means of controlling our increasing debt - in fact included in this legislation were many $Billions in PORK funds for purposes completely outside of the realm of controlling debt or preventing the Fiscal Cliff. Read the papers tomorrow and see what was passed in this bill - you will be at least surprised. They should not get a pay raise there in Washington, DC.

No surprise, the president has been very clear in spending tax dollars carelessly. No end in sight.

Please separate the executives and congress from the working Federal employee. The administration & congress has done a good job hammering us with bad PR so we can be used as scapegoats and blame us for their failures. The general public now think we are to blame for this budget mess not the fact that we went from a balanced budget to trillions in debt in 8 years. Lets see.... 2 full blown wars and a sweeping tax cut for all Americans. GREAT IDEA! LET'S DO IT AGAIN!! Do you know what a lemming is?

A pay raise for those in Washington, NO WAY! They should get a pay cut based on what they are doing to our country. Do away with their retirement benefits and let them have employee funded 401Ks like the rest of us. Cut their health benefits and put them on Obamacare. Term limits for all!

Lots of sensible comments here, but where were people like you during the election 2 months ago?
At least Obama is honest about his ideology on taking as much money as possible from people who earn it in the real world. He's doing exactly what he said. Except the reality is that the taxes hurt everyone for a very long time, not just the villified few % who pay most of our taxes.

OBOMA SHOULD HAVE HIS SALARY CUT. AND BY THE WAY HIS SECURITY TOO.

AND AS FAR AS PAY RAISES, I THOUGHT EVERYONE HAD TO PITCH IN. THESE PEOPLE GO ON VACATION IN THE MIDDLE OF DEADLINE, MEET ON A SUNDAY AT 3PM. CHRISTMAS BREAK? I HAVE WORKED THROUGH SEVERAL CHRISTMAS VACATIONS TO MEET A DEADLINE DAAAA. A RAISE A JOKE SAME THING. THEY ARE SELF CENTERED.

Hmm, let's see... NO!!!!

Does this uber-lazy Congress deserve their first raise since 1999? NO!

However, I suppose that it was part of a deal to get certain Congressmen to capitulate and vote for some bill (lousy as it may be) to postpone the "cliff."

In Wash. DC, it's all in the art of the deal. Certainly not what's in the best interest of the Country.

Congressional pay raises and REDUCTIONS should be tied to a graph indicating the state or condition of the federal budget and the country's viability. In other words, reward good production and fiscal sense; penalize out-of-control spending and mismanagement. An openly transparent graph showing trend and viability to the People, regularly kept up, should be the minimum standard for Congressional pay considerations.

Congress today should be subject to a pay decrease.

They want to reduce taxes, but want a raise? hmmm, how do they get paid? If I were doing a bad job, I would not get a raise!

Hell no. Would you or anyone else get paid for NOT doing the job. They do and continue to bleed the American people while their nest eggs, health care, and salaries are taken care of by us. Enough. They are all worhtless and only out for themselves. Congress DOES NOT SPEAK FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. Isn't that taxation without representation? Staring with the President and the rest trickles down hill.

WOW, I AM SO MAD ! OF ALL THE TIMES THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED ! BEING REWARDED FOR BAD BEHAVIOR ! SAD. ALL OF US TRYING SO HARD TO MAKE A LIVING AND GETTING NOWHERE, ITS REALLY PITIFUL TO FIND THIS OUT. IT WON'T AFFECT ME AT ALL BUT I FEEL FOR SO MANY WHO PROBABLY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN DECIEVED. WRONG MOVE ! I THINK WE SHOULD FIRE THEM ALL, THEY DID NOTHING ! SAT ON THEIR HANDS, BORED. IF ONLY THEY KNEW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO TRY AND FEED A FAMILY. OH, I AM SOOOO MAD, HOPE OTHERS ARE TOO, WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO STOP LETTING THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO EASY TO HAVE SAID, ABSOLUTELY NO RAISE FOR YOU ALL AT THIS TIME WHEN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE , WHO PAY YOUR SALARY, BY THE WAY, ARE ALL HURTING, EXCEPT THE WEALTHY ONES WHO SEEM TO ALWAYS COME OUT SMELLING LIKE A ROSE. THEY CAN AFFORD TO BE TAXED MORE BUT ,ONCE AGAIN, ITS THE MIDDLE CLASS GETTING MISTREATED. YES, A DECREASE IS WHAT THEY NEED AND WE WOULD FEEL SO MUCH BETTER !!!!! ENOUGH

Incompetence comes to mind.....but truly....we could vote them out, but do we.....we should be angry at ourselves for our lack of action.....it is time to do something as a whole unit, as a nation, to fight our arrogant, lazy politicians.....

Wow, nice going, Sherri. Apparently you only read the headlines and watch Fox News. Congress hasn't given itself a raise since 2009. Most of them are wealthy enough that they should do their job at no charge but then with the exception of Bernie Sanders, not a damn one of them does anything but blow hot air. How about you report how the House of Representatives decided not to renew the Violence Against Women Act and how they decided not to fund the Hurricane Sandy Relief effort. The Huff Post also reported how John Boehner and the Republican party came down hard on Gov Christie and Peter King for lambasting them in public. I believe he is quoted as saying "Go f**k yourself." - John Boehner to Harry Reid after the Senate voted to pass both.

In my ongoing efforts to be contrarian…
I would argue that senate and house positions are vastly underpaid. The salaries for these “top politicians” pale in comparison to the top earners in the private sector, where actual performance is a much bigger factor. This is a major reason why politics attract mediocre talent at best-- those with the chops, leadership skills, and experience stick to the private sector where that can make serious money and avoid dealing with all the BS that comes with politics.
Note that I said the positions are underpaid, not necessarily the current occupants. That said-- it is our fault these folks are not preforming, we voted them in, and thus we have nobody to blame but our selves. Lowering the pay for these positions will only further discourage our best and brightest from entering politics.
Ultimate it comes down to our collective laziness. It is far easier to bitch and moan (and blog) about cutting politicians pay. It far more difficult to be an informed constituent, vote, and get involved.

I found this interesting-- Children of congress members and staffers of Congress family members do not have to pay back their college student loans.
35 States have filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government.

Governors of 35 states have filed suit against the Federal Government for imposing unlawful burdens upon them. It only takes 38 (of the 50) States to convene a Constitutional Convention.
For too long, we've been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens have no idea members of Congress can retire with the same pay even after only ONE term! They specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Health-care Reform... in all its forms. We should not have an elite that's above the law! I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. This self-serving must stop!

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution: "Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.

Please tell me who verifies the information that snopes provides?

Well, it seems that "The Costume Closet" author feels as if we have to prove that something is NOT correct, rather than her having to prove that something is correct.

That concept is Napoleanic Law, where you must prove that you are innocent, rather than our American standard, derived from English Law, where you must prove that someone is guilty. That English Law concept is what our Founding Fathers enshrined in the Constitution.

But if Closet doesn't like Snopes, he or she can always try the two other excellent sources of de-bunking, or, as I like to call it, "removing the BS" from the discussion.

Those other two are www.FactCheck.org, and www.Politifact.com. But www.snopes.com also gets into lesser matters than either FactCheck or PolitiFact cover, though I'd bet that matters relating to claims about student loans would probably be covered by at least one of the two.

If they get/give themselves a raise I am seriously moving to Canada....I am searching for a blog this this that is National....anyone? Our 6.2% tax hike is applying to LAST YEAR? Seriously?

The taxpayers have ALWAYS paid for ANY President's vacations......that's another topic but TRUE. Why pick on this President, all of them are guilty of that. There SHOULD be a change in that, I totally agree but, isn't that part of the 6.2% tax increase? They only think of themselves.

It would be GREAT to have a President who has a conscience about taxpayers paying for their vacations.....you have money....use your own! Or invite everyone else? Pay for mine? Which I have not had in YEARS.....