Byrne introduces amendment blocking Democrats’ congressional pay raise proposal; House Dems back down

Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-01) appears to have successfully led the charge against a proposal by House Democrats that would have raised pay for members of Congress at the expense of the American taxpayer.

Byrne on Monday evening announced that he had introduced an amendment to block that proposed congressional pay raise, which would have been $4,500 per member.

Byrne’s amendment to H.R. 2740, which funds the legislative branch for Fiscal Year 2020, would prevent any funds from being used to implement a cost of living adjustment for members of the House of Representatives. Language similar to his amendment has been included in appropriations bills since 2009 but was eliminated by the Democrat-controlled House this year.

“I refuse to look the other way while Democrats attempt to sneak through a Congressional pay raise inside a massive government funding bill,” Byrne said in a statement.

“With Democrats controlling the House, this Congress has been one of the least productive in memory, yet Democrats feel their endless flow of radical, liberal bills warrants a pay raise,” he continued. “They may think pandering to their extremist base makes good politics, but it does not make them deserving of a pay raise.”

Byrne also called for an up-or-down, on-the-record vote on the pay raise issue.

“I call on Speaker Pelosi to allow a vote on my amendment and put all Members of the House on record on this issue,” he concluded.

Less than an hour after Byrne’s public announcement, it was reported by Politico that House Democrats had folded on their proposal, at least for the near future, over worries about the political ramifications of Democrats pushing to raise their own salaries ahead of 2020.

When the House Democrats’ congressional pay raise proposal was first reported last week, Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) immediately pumped the brakes on the idea.

“I think the American people would think that Congress ought to earn it first,” Shelby said, according to Politico.

Byrne quickly released a statement last week when the Democrats’ proposal first surfaced, too.

“The list of accomplishment by the Democrat-controlled House is next to nothing, but it seems Democrats have a new item on their agenda: giving themselves a pay raise,” he remarked. “It is outrageous that six months into one of the least productive Congresses of all time Democrats think they deserve a raise.”

“We have real issues on our plate like addressing the immigration crisis at our southern border, reducing high healthcare and prescription drug costs, and passing new, strong trade agreements. Let’s prioritize the security of American workers and their families before padding our own pockets,” Byrne concluded.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn