Members of Congress have not had a raise in a decade, so some members of both political parties started testing the waters. There was immediate pushback from other legislators, who don’t like the idea of justifying voting for a pay hike as they run for re-election in 2020. Not only will all 435 seats in the House of Representatives be at stake, but so will one-third of the seats in the 100-member Senate, and, of course, the big prize — the presidency. Neither of the six-year terms of Republican Pat Toomey nor Democrat Bob Casey, our U.S. senators, is up in 2020.

Some, who refer to legislators as the “do-nothing Congress” because of political gridlock, say they are not entitled to a raise. In fact, they contend, they are not earning their current salary.

The three House members who represent parts of the five counties in the Times News area — Republican Dan Meuser (Carbon-Schuylkill), and Democrats Susan Wild (Lehigh, Northampton and part of Monroe), and Matt Cartwright (part of Monroe), along with Toomey and Casey, all earn the basic $174,000 annual salary.

While this amount might seem like a princely sum to many wage-earners in our area, it doesn’t go nearly as far as it did 10 years ago in pricey Washington, D.C., when the salary was boosted from $169,300.

Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, earns $223,500, while Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York; House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland; and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, all make $193,400 a year in their leadership positions.

By way of comparison, President Donald Trump gets $400,000 a year, which he donates to charity; Pennsylvania legislators make $88,610 annually; Gov. Tom Wolf, $198,000 (he also donates his salary to charity); county judges, $183,000 (the president judge in each of our five counties makes a little more), and Parkland Superintendent of Schools Richard Sniscak, the highest paid area public school administrator, $187,326.

As many legislators are quick to point out when they talk among themselves, compared to private-sector salaries, the pay of members of Congress is lower than many midlevel executives and managers.

Members of Congress are eligible for the same annual cost-of-living increases given to other federal employees. The raise takes effect automatically on Jan. 1 unless Congress passes a joint resolution declining the raise, which it has done every year since 2009.

Members of Congress are eligible for a pension at age 50 if they have completed 20 years of service, or at any age after completing 25 years of service. They become vested in the pension system at age 62 if they have completed a total of five years of service.

Many members maintain their private careers and other business interests. Members are allowed to retain an amount of permissible “outside earned income” limited to $28,400 in 2018, but there is no limit on the amount of nonsalary income members can retain from their investments, corporate dividends or profits.

“The idea that the Democrat-led House is considering giving themselves a raise when the past six months they haven’t accomplished anything that the people want to do is as hypocritical as it gets. They should be more concerned about getting fired than getting a raise,” said Rep. Meuser.

Rep. Wild is not interested in a raise.

“I came to Congress to put more money in the pockets of the working folks of my district, not my own,” she said. “I’m focused on lowering the cost of health care and prescription drugs, creating an economy that works for all, and reforming our political system.”

Rep. Cartwright did not respond to a request for comment.

The Founding Fathers did not envision that those who served in Congress would make a career of it. Rather, they figured that a lawmaker would serve for a few terms then return to his trade, business or profession.

When the first Congress was established in 1789, legislators were paid $6 a day. This was increased to $8 a day 36 years later. In 1855, members of Congress were given their first annual salary — $3,000. The biggest jump came between 1999 and 2000 when salaries climbed from $75,100 to $141,300.

No legislated pay increase can go into effect until the following session of Congress. This is why proponents need approval before the next Congress convenes in early January 2021.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com