Haley Stevens: “the last time congressional salaries were given a cost-of-living adjustment--and this is not a pay raise--was in 1993.…”

“the last time congressional salaries were given a cost-of-living adjustment--and this is not a pay raise--was in 1993. The pay raise for Federal employees that year was 3.7 percent, the COLA's for Congress were 3.2 percent. In 1992, the cost-of-living adjustment for Federal employees was 4.2 percent, and for Members of Congress it was 3.5 percent. We are now in a situation where, in my judgment, if we don't take this cost-of-living adjustment for this year, I am sure we will not take it next year being an election year. That means we will not take it until 1999. Since that is the year before a Presidential election year, we will not take it then either. We will not take it in the year 2000, which is a Presidential election year. I suggest we are going into the next century with this maladjustment, as far as congressional salaries. It does not make any difference to me. It does not make any difference to any of us. We are here. We made our commitment. What about those out there who should come and serve their country by being part of the legislative branch of this Federal Government? We have raised the salaries of the people who are Federal civilians downtown. We have raised the salaries of the Federal employees. We have raised the payments made to Federal retirees. We have raised Social Security recipients. We have not raised for Members of Congress, and I predict we will not do it unless we face up to the problem now. The problem is not ours.…”