On Wednesday’s edition of “CNN Newsroom” reporter Manu Raju had an interesting hallway exchange Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) over a congressional pay raise.
Partial transcript as follows:
JIM ACOSTA: Understand that part of this year and spending package, the stopgap continuing resolution, as it’s called, apparently has a provision in there that gives lawmakers their first pay raise since 2009. Is that correct? What’s the latest on that?
RAJU: Yeah, From what we understand, this is a massive bill, roughly 1500 pages that came out just yesterday. They’re trying to jam this through Congress by the end of the week to prevent a government shutdown.
This would extend funding until mid-March, but it also includes a whole wide range of other issues, one of which is to increase the members pay for has not been increased since 2009, but the language in there would allow them to get their first pay increase since then.
Right now, members make the rank and file make about $174,000 a year. I just caught up with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin about this issue. I asked him if it was appropriate for lawmakers to give themselves a raise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: The members are giving themselves a pay raise. Do you guys deserve a pay raise?
DURBIN: Well, that’s news to me. It’s good news! (LAUGHTER) You know, what is it been ten years or 14 years and no COLA? No change at all. I think it’s about time something’s done.
RAJU: You support giving yourselves a pay raise.
DURBIN: Well I don’t know what it is. How would I not know about a pay raise–?
RAJU: But I mean, people look at the performance of Congress, say, why should we give them more money?
DURBIN: What about the media? Think about that for a second.
RAJU: We’re not paid by public money.
DURBIN: I know you’re not. But I mean, half of your listeners are not there anymore. You’re still getting the same paycheck? What’s going on?
RAJU: Well, I mean, you’re taxpayer money, I mean, do you guys deserve a raise?
(END VIDEO CLIP).
RAJU: And Durbin essentially said that, yes, they should give themselves a raise. And it also was notable, Jim. He wasn’t aware that this was in the provision and he’s the number two Senate Democrat. Just shows you how this was negotiated among a handful of members. And they’re going to have to vote on this. And members will really want to have time to read it either, Jim.
ACOSTA: Unreal, but Manu, I have to say, you are worth every penny.
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