For the Third Year in a Row, Murphy is an Original Cosponsor of Legislation to Stop an Automatic Pay Increase for Congress, Late Today, House Leaders Announced No Automatic Pay Increase. Murphy Donated his Last Pay Raise to Charity.

(Washington, D.C.) – A month after he signed on to legislation blocking an automatic pay increase for Congress, House Leaders followed Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy’s (D-8th District) lead and announced that there would be no automatic pay increase this year. For the third year in a row, Rep. Murphy worked against party leaders to stop an automatic pay increase for members of Congress. In 2007 he voted against the pay raise, and when it went through anyway, he donated his increase to charity. In 2008, he tried to stop the increase. As 2009 began, he was again an original cosponsor of legislation to stop the congressional pay raise.

“This is the worst economy since the Great Depression and hard working families across our community are struggling to make ends meet. I believe it is wrong for Congress to be voting themselves a pay increase – especially in these dire economic conditions – and I applaud the House leadership for coming to the same conclusion,” said Congressman Patrick Murphy. “We should be working on putting people back to work – and as members of Congress we can set an example everyone must do their part to tighten our fiscal belts.”

During his first campaign for Congress, Rep. Murphy pledged not to vote for a congressional pay raise until the minimum wage was increased. Even though Murphy helped pass the first increase in the minimum wage in 10 years, Murphy still votes against the congressional pay raise stating that with our economy in trouble, our nation at war and our budget deficit at record levels, it is wrong to raise congressional pay.

Rep. Patrick Murphy is a member of the fiscally responsible Democratic Blue Dog Coalition. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States.

Washington Post: No Pay Raise for Lawmakers Next Year. House Democratic leaders informed their members at a party caucus meeting this afternoon that they will move legislative language blocking lawmakers' regularly scheduled salary increase for 2010. That "COLA" is a cost-of-living-adjustment -- the automatic pay raise that members receive each year under permanent law unless Congress actively passes legislation to block it. Every year there is an effort on the House floor, usually by fiscal conservatives, to block lawmakers' annual raise. Dozens of lawmakers had already signed on to measures to block the COLA for 2010. [Washington Post, 2/10/09, LINK]

Congressional Quarterly: No Cost of Living Increases for House Lawmakers. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer told their Democratic caucus Tuesday afternoon that House members won’t get a cost of living pay increase in fiscal year 2010. The reason for bypassing a possible pay raise was the state of the national economy. Several members had already introduced legislation calling for a pay freeze. [CQ, 2/10/09]

For Immediate Release, February 10, 2009
Contact: Adam Abrams, (202) 225-4276