Congress gives itself a raise

Republicans think teachers should only get merit raises. So, if Congress has an approval rating under 30 percent, you would think they wouldn't give themselves a raise. You'd be wrong. From the Seattle Times:

WASHINGTON — Despite record low approval ratings, House lawmakers Tuesday embraced a $3,300 pay raise that would increase their salaries to $168,500.

The 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) would be the seventh straight for members of the House and Senate. Lawmakers easily squelched an attempt by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to get a direct vote to block the increase, which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it.

In the early days of GOP control of Congress, lawmakers routinely denied themselves the annual COLA.

My how times have changed. Rep. Mark Green and his colleagues take raises even though they have blocked a raise for those who need it the most by voting against increasing the minimum wage. In fact, Green doesn't think it's really an issue at all. I guess it's hard for someone that gets raises all the time to understand that other people don't get raises. His record on the minimum wage:

Mark Green has voted against increasing the minimum wage, against accelerating a minimum wage increase, and has said that the minimum wage is almost irrelevant” and is “often times a false issue” [HR 3846, 03/09/00; Green Bay Press-Gazette 12/12/99]

Tell that to the families making minimum wage that can't give themselves raises.