U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick is cutting her salary and asking Congress to do the same.
Kirkpatrick introduced the "Taking Responsibility for Congressional Pay" Act (H.R. 4720) Tuesday. It would cut Congressional pay by 5 percent starting Jan. 1. It also would block any automatic pay increase in next year's Congressional salaries.
Regardless of whether it becomes law, Kirkpatrick said she'll donate 5 percent of her own $174,000 salary to the Bureau of Public Debt for federal debt reduction. The bureau offers citizens a way to donate money toward the public debt at www.publicdebt.treas.gov.
"I decided it was time to take action and lead by example," Kirkpatrick said.
Kirkpatrick noted many of her constituents in her sprawling rural Arizona district are out of work, citing Yavapai County's unemployment rate of 9.3 percent.
Congress hasn't taken a pay cut since 1933 during the Great Depression, Kirkpatrick said. The last time any members introduced such a bill was 2005, although her office counted 25 such bills since 1973. Only one made it out of committee.
A fellow Democratic member of Congress from Arizona, Harry Mitchell, is sponsoring a bill to eliminate Congress' automatic pay hike in January. Kirkpatrick signed on to that one, too. She also supported the successful effort to block Congress' automatic 2010 pay hike.
Kirkpatrick said she has supported several other steps to cut spending, including re-establishing the "pay-as-you-go" requirement for Congress, opposing a $1.9 trillion increase in the debt ceiling, opposing bank bailouts, supporting using bailout money to pay down the national debt, and supporting an independent deficit reduction commission.
The deficit was a hot topic this week as Republican Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky held up a $100 billion-plus stopgap bill to extend unemployment benefits and health insurance subsidies for the unemployed for another month. It also extended small business loan guarantees and federal flood insurance.
Bunning wanted to find other money to pay for the extension, but instead relented Tuesday on his opposition. Arizona's two Republican senators also voted for the measure, H.R. 4691. The Senate vote was 78-19.
Kirkpatrick joined other House members to approve the bill unanimously on a voice vote last week, saying the House pay-as-you-go rule didn't apply because it was an emergency measure. The re-established pay-go rule also does not apply to annual appropriations bills.
"This short-term measure allows Congress to keep working without making families in my district go without," Kirkpatrick said. "I remain committed to fiscal discipline, and with this extension in place I am continuing to fight for a long-term solution - creating jobs - that will meet our needs without breaking our budget."
Two ways to create jobs in her 1st Congressional District include approval of a land swap for the Resolution Copper mine in southeast Arizona, and the Four Forests Restoration Initiative to thin out crowded trees and brush on four national forests in Arizona, Kirkpatrick said.
Posted: Friday, March 05, 2010
Article comment by:
I'm just sayin'
While Congress has gotten automatic pay raises, senior citizens will receive the same level of social security payment for 3 years. It wasn't increased for 2010 and 2011 by our Democrat Congress. The people paid into the system and are now stalled out. That's why I am against Medicare and Social Security. The government makes you pay in but calls the shots as to whether and how much you receive on their "promises" to make it better. The same will be true if Obamacare gets shoved down our throats. And that is how I will remember Ann Kirkpatrick.
Posted: Friday, March 05, 2010
Article comment by:
I'm just sayin'
While Congress has gotten automatic pay raises, senior citizens will receive the same level of social security payment for 3 years. It wasn't increased for 2010 and 2011 by our Democrat Congress. The people paid into the system and are now stalled out. That's why I am against Medicare and Social Security. The government makes you pay in but calls the shots as to whether and how much you receive on their "promises" to make it better. The same will be true if Obamacare gets shoved down our throats. And that is how I will remember Ann Kirkpatrick.
Posted: Friday, March 05, 2010
Article comment by:
Civics Lesson
First, I have voluntarily taken pay cuts. Second, that's not the point. She took an oath to "support and defend the constitution " nowhere in the constitution will you find the authority to mandate health insurance. And while she reduces her salary by 5% (a few thousand dollars), she approves a budget that is nearly 50% financed by debt (over a trillion dollars). Third, for "Really?": she was elected to the House in 2008 every House seat is up for election every 2 years. Thankfully, that includes her seat.
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Marie S
I am a Democrat and I have been fairly happy with Rep. Kirkpatrick. This may be a feeble gesture, but that's better than the nothing or worse a lot of her colleagues are doing.
If the act goes through, it will actually add up to something. I'm glad she's at least making an effort.
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
keen observer
I wonder how many making comments would voluntarily cut their pay by 5 percent. Rep. Kirkpatrick is a welcome change from our last two Congressmen---one not even living in our district, as it turned out, and the other tossed out for corruption. We are lucky to have her in our service.
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Really ?
She was just elected last year. She was on the Obama ballot. So if my figures are correct - she is not up for re-election yet is she???
All I can say is I hear nothing but positive about her, even from Republicans. I know people that have been staunch Repubs their whole lives that say this woman has had a POSITIVE impact on their lives directly - because she took the time to care and to actually take care of things for them.
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Dumpem All
yeah, she is giving back--but only in an obvious effort to keep her cushy job. Bye-bye, Ann. It was nice knowing you.
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Oh Pleeeeese
Kirkpatrick's timing is suspect considering she is up for reelection in November. She is trying to paint herself as a "moderate democrat" (what an oxymoron) in a Republican district instead of the stealth progressive she really is. She has already sealed her fate with her voting YES on HR3962 in November of 2009. Watch how she votes again for "ObamaCare" in the coming weeks. Elections DO have consequences.
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
honky brujo
Grass, you may be right that the majority of voters here in Prescott "The Armpit of Conservatism" don't want health care reform. But the vast majority in Flagstaff and the Navajo Reservation do. We win you lose, ha ha ha!
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Grass Roots
I agree with "Oh Please," "Tom Steele" and others. No matter what she does, her vote on healthcare will be the one we remember. I cannot believe that the majority of people in Yavapai County are for Obamacare, especially retired people who will have their healthcare rationed. She's not listening to us. Just that airhead, Pelosi.
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Teabaggin Tommy
Wow Tom Steele does not like it when a politician gives back, oh well you have to remember Tom Steele does not like Prisons, schools, police, firemen, the courier even though he cant live without it, he hates politicians even though he was one for 2 weeks, and of course he hates America.
Thank You Ann for giving back to Arizona, any chance you can pass a bill to send Tommy back to California?
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Adam L. Rowling
Ms. Kirkpatrick is willing to give up a paltry 5 percent of her pay to direct attention away from her health care vote. Every time a health care vote gets close Ms. Kirkpatrick puts out a press release on a completely unrelated issue. I challenge the Daily Courier or any citizen to get a yes or no response from the representative about how she plans to vote on the health bill. (The day before the vote does not count). While you are at it, ask our representative if she truly believes a majority of the district wants her to vote for the bill.
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Alvin P
Finally, congress is starting to get it, the private sector has been cutting pay for the past two years. For some reason government employee's don't believe this recession applies to them. It's shocking to see them get pay raises when they can't get their spending under control and balance their budgets. Kudo's for Kirkpatrick, I'm glade to see she's bucking the trend!!
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Josh Y
How thoughtful $8,700 donated towards our budget, that should buy at least a one set of tires for one schools buses.
If we want to cut our budget how about getting rid of Access health care for illegal immigrants, or unemployment for those that have been on it for more than 1 year (Sorry folks, its not the states responsibility to ensure you can pay your bills, nor is it the taxpayeres responsiblity).
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Oh Please
Ms. Kirkpatrick's feeble gesture to convince us that she is a fiscal conservative is not working. She voted for the 'healthcare reform' bill, which will wreck the healthcare system, not cover all the insured and cost us trillions of dollars. Nice Try Ms. Kirkpatrick.
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Tom Steele
So she is grandstanding on giving back her automatic raise effective Jan. 1st 2010? And this same week she voted to defeat Bunnings amendment to freeze a bill that was NOT "pay as you go"? More hypocrisy from Washington hoping we will not notice. Throw her out and take John McCain with her.
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
5 Percent?
Ms. Kirkpatrick's vote in favor of the "emergency" bill will dwarf her paycut she boasts of saving thousands, and then spends billions. (By the way, that bill didn't need to be an "emergency " they knew about the expiration of these benefits in advance.) And if she votes in favor of the health care proposal, she will add trillions in spending. Why should she be applauded for saving a few thousand dollars, when she votes to add billions if not trillions to the debt? And how can she vote against raising the debt ceiling, and then vote to add to the debt? Keep watching if Nancy Pelosi needs Ms. Kirkpatrick's vote, she'll get it if she doesn't (because Nancy twists enough other Democrats' arms), only then will our rep vote like we want her to.
Posted: Thursday, March 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Tom Blythe
Bunning was right. What the heck good are "Pay as You Go" commitments if they are just ignored every time a new spending bill is rammed through? Oh yeah, they are all "emergencies". That's it. They all preach fiscal discipline and then simply ignore it when it counts, just adding more and more to the debt. At best they are hypocrites, at worst downright dishonest. As for the pay cut....a stunt. She knows it will never pass. Ann is all about "style", no substance here. All show, no go.
