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HR 51 Cleaning Up Washington Act
Topic Started: 10 Jun 2013, 12:42 PM (117 Views)
Heather Holson
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48 hours for debate

Quote:
 
Congressman Peter J. Lucas, Congresswoman Andrea Martinez, Congresswoman Elizabeth Rhodes, Congressman Richard Williams and Senator Amos Goodwin, Mr. Luke for themselves, propose

A BILL TO lower the amount of and simplify the system for Congressional and executive pay and allowances.

Section 1 Short Title

This bill may be cited as the “Cleaning Up Washington” Act of 2013.

Section 2 Findings

(1) Members of Congress are currently paid $174,000 with supplements for senior officials in both chambers, Cabinet members $200,700, the Vice President $231,900 and the President $400,000.

(2) Allowances for members of the House of Representatives are calculated by a complex system that produces an average allowance per Congressman of almost $1.5 million.

(3) Members of the Senate receive an annual average allowance of over $3.3 million.

(4) The Speaker of the House receives an additional $1 million a year allowance for office and travel expenses for 5 years after leaving office as Speaker.

(5) Long serving Members of Congress (20+ years) can receive a government pension at the age of 50.

Section 3 House of Representatives Pay and Allowances

(1) Henceforth, the basic annual pay of a member of the House of Representatives shall be $100,000.
(2) The following officeholders shall receive the stated rate of supplementary annual pay in additional to the basic pay rate. Any one Congressman shall only receive one supplemental pay amount at a time.
(i) Speaker of the House $25,000
(ii) Majority and Minority Leader, Deputy Speaker $15,000
(iii) Majority and Minority Whip $10,000
(iv) Chairmen of any committees $15,000
(v) Vice Chairmen of any committees $10,000.

(2) The annual Personnel Allowance for a Congressman shall be lowered to $500,000.

(3) The maximum annual pay rate for each individual employee of a Congressman shall be lowered to $80,000.

(4) The total annual Official Office Expenses Allowance for a Congressman shall be set at $250,000, with no mileage or rental rate supplements being added to that amount.

(5) The total annual Franking Privilege cap per Congressman shall be the equivalent of the price of sending one piece of first class mail to each non business address in his district.

(6) The Speaker of the House shall receive no allowances relating to his former position as Speaker beyond one year after ceasing to hold that office. Allowances in that capacity for the allowable one year shall be limited to a maximum of $500,000.

Section 4 Senate Pay and Allowances

(1) Henceforth, the basic annual pay of a member of the Senate shall be $100,000.
(2) The following officeholders shall receive the stated rate of supplementary annual pay in additional to the basic pay rate. Any one Senator shall only receive one supplemental pay amount at a time.
(i) President Pro Tempore $25,000
(ii) Majority and Minority Leader, Deputy President Pro Tempore $15,000
(iii) Majority and Minority Whip $10,000
(iv) Chairmen of any committees $15,000
(v) Vice Chairmen of any committees $10,000.

(3) The total annual Official Office Expenses Allowance for a Senator shall be set at $250,000, with no mileage or rental rate supplements being added to that amount.

(4) The annual Administrative and Clerical Assistance Allowance per Senator shall be lowered to a fixed amount of $1,000,000.

(5) The annual Legislative Assistance Allowance is lowered to $300,000 per Senator.

(6) The maximum annual salary per Legislative Assistant is lowered to $80,000.

Section 5 Retirement of Members of Congress

(1) No Member of Congress shall receive retirement benefits if they are younger than 60 at the time they retire.

(2) For the purpose of receiving retirement benefits, loosing a re-election campaign shall not be considered to be retiring.

Section 6 Salaries of Congressional Employees

(1) Without prejudice to any limit under this Act that would require them to be paid less, no person employed by the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Congress as a whole or any committee therein shall be paid more than $100,000 per annum.

Section 7 Executive Salaries

(1) The annual salary of a Member of the Cabinet shall be
(i) in the case of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense, $125,000
(ii) otherwise, $115,000.

(2) The annual salary of the Vice President shall be $150,000.

(3) The annual salary of the President shall be $250,000.

(4) No person, other than as listed above, employed by or in the White House shall be paid more than $100,000 per annum.

(5) No employee of the federal government shall be paid more than the President.

Section 8 Indexing Abolished

(1) Salaries of Members of Congress, the President, the Vice President and Cabinet Members shall no longer be annually indexed.

(2) Salaries that are subject to a maximum cap under this Act shall not be indexed to the extent that they would exceed such a cap.

Section 8 Enactment

This Act shall have effect on January 1st 2015.
Edited by Heather Holson, 12 Jun 2013, 12:21 PM.
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Daniel Hernandez
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Wielder of the Gavel
Rick Thomas

Madame Speaker,

I request passage of this legislation by unanimous consent.

I yield the balance of my time.
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Heather Holson
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Request for unanimous consent recognized 24 hours for objection.
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Landry
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Winter is Coming to the Red States
Madam Speaker,

Austerity begins at home; I have no objections to this legislation, and commend the gentleman from Texas on its introduction.

I yield.
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Terrus


Madame Speaker,

I object, and rise in opposition to this bill. We should not be deterring those that seek to serve this nation by limiting their ability to afford service, which can be quite costly. We should also not be encouraging those in office to accept bribes and unethical contributions by limiting their pay.

I yield.
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tal
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Old Man In The Mountain
Madam Speaker,

I echo the objection raised. There are far better places to save money in the budget than this. Already the private sector draws so much talent away from the public because of disparate pay grades. This will only heighten that issue and increase the likelihood that public servants or those considering public service take their talents elsewhere--or do a worse job in service by focusing on generating income in other ways, perhaps even illicitly as the gentleman has suggested.
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Heather Holson
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Objection noted. Debate continues.
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Marcus Tompkins

Mrs. Speaker, I want to say that I wholeheartedly support this bill. The people of Louisiana did not send me here to fatten my paycheck, they sent me here to do their work.

I yield.
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tal
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Old Man In The Mountain
Madam Speaker,

This is not a vote to increase the pay of public servants. This is a vote to prevent drastic cuts to their pay when there are so many more serious things that could be addressed surrounding this country's spending problem.
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Marcus Tompkins

Mrs. Speaker, Why am I not surprised that the high falutin elite party would endorse paying politicians more than what their voters make? I deserve a pay cut, not because I'm not doing my job, but because I think we ought to get closer to the people we represent - and If you think making 174,000 a year is getting closer to your voters, then, maybe you should pluck your head out of the sand and try living in the real America..
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peter
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Lucas for President: Take Back America!
Madam Speaker

I completely agree with the Gentlelady from Louisiana. We have a massive deficit of close to a trillion dollars at the moment. While the impact of this Bill will not be massive in reducing that, it does at least show the people we represent that we are willing to take out fair share of the inevitable cuts that must be made to federal spending. At the moment, Congress costs $2.5 billion a year to run. You ask me, that's bloated. You don't want to take my word for it, run that figure by some of your constituents.

I yield.
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Melissa Sanchez
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Madam Chair,


I am somewhat under the impression that my colleagues are not aware of just where this money goes. So one of my staff, who incidentally might well be added to the rolls of the unemployed if this bill should pass, did some research for me.

The reimbursement for a Congressperson covers the cost of mailing to their district, which arguably tends to be used mostly at election time; one or more offices in their district, based on the number of non-business addresses; a maximum of 18 permanent personnel, including in Washington itself; and a round trip for the Congressperson and one staffer each year. One.

I can assure my colleagues that none of that is ending up in my bank account.

Incidentally, if anyone can suggest an inexpensive place to live in the Greater Washington Area, I would appreciate it. I'm still apartment hunting, as I can't afford what I'm finding so far.

I yield. the balance of my time.
Edited by Melissa Sanchez, 11 Jun 2013, 09:47 AM.
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peter
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Lucas for President: Take Back America!
Madam Speaker

If I may pick up on just one figure used by the gentlelady from Florida.

18 permanent staff! 18. With a maximum salary each of $168,411! The average national wage is just $42,979.61, yet we as a supposedly responsible body get to employ as many as 18 people each on as much as four times the average national wage! We should be setting a good example!

I yield.
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Terrus


Madame Speaker,

Congressman Lucas combines two correct figures in an incorrect manner. Each Congressman can employ eighteen staff -- and a staff member can make up to $168,411 -- but no Congressman possesses the capacity to hire eighteen staff members with a salary of $168,411. Most staff members are paid much less, and as for those paid the maximum amount, they'd be unlikely to accept a position in DC, a highly expensive city, if they weren't being compensated well.

We return here to the age old debate. Do we pay public servants next to nothing and accept that only the rich and the incompetent will serve, or do we offer good compensation to attract competent, middle-class Americans to the public sector? I prefer the later.

I yield.
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Patrick Callaghan
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New England Republican >:D
Madame Speaker,

I rise in full support of this bill. While the actual savings are nowhere near the amount necessary to have a significant impact on our deficit the fact some see that as a reason to oppose even making a small cut simply makes no sense. Congress and the government as a whole has totally forgotten the idea a humility. I would ask any members of Congress considering opposing this bill to reconsider and think how the people of their district would want them to vote.

I yield.
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The Doctor
#Luke2016 (The Hope of Democrats everywhere)
Madame Speaker

I ask to be enrolled as a co-sponsor of this great bill by Unanimous Consent

I yield
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Melissa Sanchez
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Madam Speaker,

I ask prrmission to revise and extend my remarks.


I currently have four district offices to cover a district approximately 120 miles long and 30 miles wide. The people in these offices are not earning anything near six digits, but they are providing constituent service, much of it to retirees, the elderly, and others who do not have access to electronic means of communication.


That you decry this as wasteful and close them
...I can only wonder what you do consider important.

Clearly not our constituents.


I yield the balance of my time.
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Heather Holson
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Debate has now ended. Bill will be moved to a vote.
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