Rep. Craig Leads Bipartisan Effort to Block Pay Raises for Members of Congress

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Angie Craig is spearheading a bipartisan effort to block Members of Congress from receiving a pay raise in upcoming government funding legislation.

Rep. Craig joined Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Jared Golden (D-ME) in urging congressional leaders to focus on lowering costs for working families – instead of giving themselves a pay raise.

The bipartisan group requested that any upcoming government funding legislation include language to prohibit a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Members.

“As you know, our nation is confronting a series of challenges: working families and our small businesses are continuing to struggle to make ends meet from inflation, our immigration system is broken and our global adversaries are aggressively seeking to expand their influence in Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific. Despite these realities, most members of Congress currently receive an annual salary of $174,000 a year, more than approximately 90 percent of American households,” wrote the lawmakers.

They continued, “Given continued congressional inaction to address our nation’s most pressing challenges, we ask that any final, negotiated FY24 Legislative Branch appropriations bill make clear than none of funds can be used for a COLA increase for Members of Congress.”

A copy of the letter can be found here.

Rep. Craig has been a stanch opponent of any efforts to increase Members’ salaries since being elected to Congress. She successfully led efforts to block Member pay raises in both the 116th and 117th Congresses. 

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