Article Image

News Link • Congress-Congressmen

Congress Gives Itself A Raise: Johnson Tries To Ram Through Pork-Filled Funding Package

• https://activistpost.com, By Tyler Durden

Packed with disaster relief, farmer aid – oh, and they're giving themselves a raise, the short-term spending bill is a hot mess of pork.

The bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), keeps the federal government funded through March 14, buying Congress a little breathing room. But in classic Capitol Hill fashion, the measure is loaded with provisions unrelated to basic spending – and House conservatives are furious, according to Punchbowl News.

$100 billion in disaster relief for hurricane-hit states.
$30 billion in economic assistance for farmers.
Restrictions on U.S. capital investment in China, a win for GOP hawks wary of Beijing's influence.
A delay in the implementation of a "beneficial ownership" database meant to curb money laundering until 2026.
The transfer of RFK Stadium to the District of Columbia, clearing the way for a shiny new Washington Commanders stadium.
The relocation of an Air National Guard fighter squadron from D.C. to Maryland.
Even the American Music Tourism Act of 2024 got squeezed in
They've also given themselves a pay raise through the resumption of the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA):

Since 2009, Congress has blocked COLA for lawmakers by inserting language into annual spending bills. While other federal employees receive regular pay increases, members of Congress have deliberately frozen their own salaries for over a decade.

The new CR, however, quietly amends language in a prior bill that blocked the member COLA, effectively clearing the way for a pay raise. As Bloomberg Government's Jack Fitzpatrick first reported, the provision appears on page 15 of the 1,547-page bill and doesn't state the pay increase explicitly.


midfest.info