[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 131 (Friday, September 26, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1876-E1877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TREASURY, POSTAL SERVICE, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  1998

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. ROBERT B. ADERHOLT

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 24, 1997

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2378) making 
     appropriations for the Treasury Department, the U.S. Postal 
     Service, the Executive Office of the President, and certain 
     independent agencies, for the fiscal year ending September 
     30, 1998, and for other purposes:


  Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak out against an 
increase in pay for Members of Congress.
  The Federal Government is still spending more than it takes in. 
Despite the fact that we have passed the historic balanced budget bill 
which will balance the budget by 2002, until that date, we are still 
adding to the national debt that we will pass on to the next generation 
of Americans. I believe to allow a pay raise for Members of Congress at 
this point in time is not the responsible thing to do.
  Congress should not be increasing its pay while we have such a large 
national debt, especially when we are adding to that debt every day. 
This is one reason I am cosponsoring H.R. 632, the Balance the Budget 
First Act of 1997, introduced by Congressman Jon Christensen. This 
legislation not only repeals the automatic pay increase for Members of 
Congress, but it also expresses the sense of the Congress that pay of 
Members of Congress should not be increased until the Federal budget 
has been balanced.
  I appreciate that under current law, the pay increase for Members of 
Congress is tied to the pay increase for the Federal judiciary. That is 
why I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 2517, introduced by my colleague 
from Alabama, Congressman Bob Riley. This legislation, like H.R. 632, 
would eliminate the automatic pay increase only for Members of 
Congress, not for members of the Federal judiciary.
  I hope that we will have the good sense to listen to the American 
people and prevent this pay increase for Members of Congress.

[[Page E1877]]



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