A hideous example of the state of 'health care' in AmeriKa (GOD DAMN this shit)

[brett_jv]

77. Actually the raises for Congress-critters are automatic

So it's not strictly accurate to say that they 'vote for their own raises'.

Their raises occur automatically, in part because it would seem untoward for them to be voting to set their own salaries, even though the Constitution orders just that.

It was also set up that way in exchange for the critters no longer taking money for doing things many citizens felt should be given free (i.e. honorariums) like collecting 'speaking fees' while in office. IOW they used to be able to make money for giving talks and such while in office, but, because the public generally looked down on that (but of course Congress still felt 'entitled' to that extra money), they voted to do away with that practice in exchange for regularly-scheduled pay-rate increases.

So while in a sense Congress 'voteD' for their pay raises, that was done many years ago, and few of those presently in Congress actually voted for the current automatic pay-hike setup.

They CAN, however, vote to NOT give themselves their automatic pay raise, and have, in fact, refused to take a raise every year since 2009.