Salaries of Members of Congress:
Recent Actions and Historical Tables
Ida A. Brudnick
Specialist on the Congress
June 17, 2014
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
97-1011
Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
Summary
Congress is required by Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution to determine its own pay. Prior to
1969, Congress did so by enacting specific legislation. From 1789 through 1968, Congress raised
its pay 22 times using this procedure. Members were initially paid per diem. The first annual
salaries, in 1815, were $1,500. Per diem pay was reinstituted in 1817. Congress returned to
annual salaries, at a rate of $3,000, in 1855. Specific legislation may still be used to raise Member
pay, as it was most recently in 1982, 1983, 1989, and 1991; but two other methods—including an
automatic annual adjustment procedure and a commission process—are now also available.
The Ethics Reform Act of 1989 established the current automatic annual adjustment formula,
which is based on changes in private sector wages as measured by the Employment Cost Index
(ECI). The adjustment is automatic unless denied statutorily, although the percentage may not
exceed the percentage base pay increase for General Schedule (GS) employees.
Members of Congress last received a pay adjustment in January 2009. At that time, their salary
was increased 2.8%, to $174,000 from $169,300. A provision in the FY2009 Omnibus
Appropriations Act prohibited any pay adjustment for 2010. Under the pay adjustment formula,
Members were originally scheduled to receive an adjustment in January 2010 of 2.1%, although
this would have been revised downward automatically to 1.5% to match the GS base pay
adjustment. Members next were scheduled to receive a 0.9% pay adjustment in 2011. The pay
adjustment was prohibited by P.L. 111-165 (enacted May 14, 2010). Additionally, P.L. 111-322
(enacted on December 22, 2010) prevented any adjustment in GS base pay before December 31,
2012. Since the percentage adjustment in Member pay may not exceed the percentage adjustment
in the base pay of GS employees, Member pay was also frozen during this period. If not limited
by GS pay, Member pay could have been adjusted by 1.3% in 2012. The ECI formula established
a maximum potential pay adjustment in January 2013 of 1.1%. The Continuing Appropriations
Resolution, 2013 (P.L. 112-175, enacted September 28, 2012), extended the freeze on GS pay
rates for the duration of this continuing resolution, which also extended the Member freeze since
the percentage adjustment in Member pay may not exceed the percentage adjustment in GS base
pay. Subsequently, Member pay for 2013 was further frozen in the American Taxpayer Relief Act
of 2012 (P.L. 112-240, enacted on January 2, 2013). The maximum potential 2014 pay adjustment
of 1.2%, or $2,100, was denied by P.L. 113-46 (enacted October 17, 2013). The maximum
potential January 2015 pay adjustment is 1.6%, or $2,800, although legislation has been
considered (H.R. 4487, which passed the House on May 1, 2014) prohibiting this adjustment.
This report contains information on the pay procedure and recent adjustments. It also contains
historical information on the rate of pay for Members of Congress since 1789; the adjustments
projected by the Ethics Reform Act as compared to actual adjustments in Member pay; details on
past legislation enacted with language prohibiting the annual pay adjustment; and Member pay in
constant and current dollars since 1992. For information on actions taken each year since the
establishment of the Ethics Reform Act adjustment procedure, see CRS Report 97-615, Salaries
of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2013, by Ida A. Brudnick. Members of
Congress only receive salaries during the terms for which they are elected. Former Members of
Congress may be eligible for retirement benefits. For additional information on benefit
requirements, contributions, and formulas, see CRS Report RL30631, Retirement Benefits for
Members of Congress, by Katelin P. Isaacs.
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
Contents
Member Pay: Constitutional Background, Source of Appropriations, and Current Status .............. 1
Methods for Member Pay Adjustment ............................................................................................. 1
Member Pay: Proposals and Actions in the 113th Congress ............................................................. 2
Linking Salaries to Passage of a Concurrent Resolution on the Budget: Votes in the
113th Congress ........................................................................................................................ 3
Linking Salaries to the Debt Limit: Votes in the 113th Congress ............................................... 4
January 2015 Member Pay Adjustment Projection and Recent Action ........................................... 4
January 2014 Member Pay Adjustment Denied ............................................................................... 5
Member Pay: Proposals and Actions in the 112th Congress ............................................................. 5
Actions Related to Member Pay During a Lapse in Appropriations ......................................... 6
Additional Legislation Receiving Floor Action but Not Enacted .............................................. 6
January 2013 Member Pay Adjustment Delayed and Then Denied ................................................ 7
Partial Year Pay Freeze Enacted ................................................................................................ 7
Executive Order Issued and Subsequent Pay Freeze Enacted ................................................... 8
January 2011 and January 2012 Member Pay Adjustments Denied ................................................ 9
January 2010 Member Pay Adjustment Denied ............................................................................... 9
Historical Information and Explanation of Tables ......................................................................... 10
Figures
Figure 1. Salary for Members of Congress: Current and Constant Dollars, 1992-2014 ................ 16
Tables
Table 1. Salary Adjustments for Members of Congress Since 1789 .............................................. 11
Table 2. Member Pay Projected vs. Actual Adjustments Since 1992 ............................................ 14
Table 3. Legislative Vehicles Denying or Delaying Pay Adjustments, Enacted Dates,
and Pay Language ....................................................................................................................... 15
Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 17
Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... 17
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
Member Pay: Constitutional Background, Source of
Appropriations, and Current Status
Article I, Section 6, of the U.S. Constitution, states that the compensation of Members of
Congress shall be “ascertained by law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.”
Additionally, the Twenty-Seventh Amendment to the Constitution states, “No law, varying the
compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an
election of Representatives shall have intervened.” This amendment was submitted to the states
on September 25, 1789, along with 11 other proposed amendments, 10 of which were ratified and
became the Bill of Rights. It was not ratified until May 7, 1992.
Since FY1983, Member salaries have been funded in a permanent appropriations account.1
The most recent pay adjustment for Members of Congress was in January 2009. Since then, the
compensation for most Senators, Representatives, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner
from Puerto Rico has been $174,000. The only exceptions include the Speaker of the House
($223,500) and the President pro tempore of the Senate and the majority and minority leaders in
the House and Senate ($193,400).
Members of Congress only receive salaries during the terms for which they are elected.
Following their service, former Members of Congress may be eligible for retirement benefits,
which are discussed in CRS Report RL30631, Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress, by
Katelin P. Isaacs.
Methods for Member Pay Adjustment
There are three basic ways to adjust Member pay.
Specific legislation was enacted to adjust Member pay prior to 1968, and again in 1982, 1983,
1989, and 1991.
The second method by which Member pay can be increased is pursuant to recommendations from
the President, based on those made by a quadrennial salary commission. In 1967, Congress
established the Commission on Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Salaries to recommend salary
increases for top-level federal officials (P.L. 90-206). Three times (in 1969, 1977, and 1987)
Congress received pay increases made under this procedure; on three occasions it did not.
Effective with passage of the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 (P.L. 101-194), the commission ceased
to exist. Its authority was assumed by the Citizens’ Commission on Public Service and
Compensation. Although the first commission under the 1989 act was to have convened in 1993,
it did not meet.
1 P.L. 97-51; 95 Stat. 966; September 11, 1981. See also, for example: “Table 32-1. Federal Programs By Agency and
Account” in Analytical Perspectives, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2014 (Washington, GPO:
2013), pp. 2, 3.
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The third method by which the salary of Members can be changed is by annual adjustments. Prior
to 1990, the pay of Members, and other top-level federal officials, was tied to the annual
comparability increases provided to General Schedule (GS) federal employees. This procedure
was established in 1975 (P.L. 94-82). Such increases were recommended by the President, subject
to congressional acceptance, disapproval, or modification. Congress accepted 5 such increases for
itself—in 1975, 1979 (partial), 1984, 1985, and 1987—and declined 10 (1976, 1977, 1978, 1980,
1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1988, and 1989).
The Ethics Reform Act of 1989 changed the method by which the annual adjustment is
determined for Members and other senior officials. This procedure employs a formula based on
changes in private sector wages and salaries as measured by the Employment Cost Index (ECI).
The annual adjustment automatically goes into effect unless
1. Congress statutorily prohibits the adjustment;
2. Congress statutorily revises the adjustment; or
3. The annual base pay adjustment of GS employees is established at a rate less than
the scheduled adjustment for Members, in which case Members would be paid
the lower rate.2
Under this revised method, annual adjustments were accepted 13 times (those scheduled for
January 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009) and
denied 11 times (those scheduled for January 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2007, 2010, 2011,
2012, 2013, and 2014).3
Member Pay: Proposals and Actions in the
113th Congress
As in previous Congresses, bills were introduced in the 113th Congress to
• prohibit adjustments in pay (for example, H.R. 54, H.R. 243, H.R. 636, S. 18, S.
30);4
• repeal the automatic pay adjustment provision (for example, H.R. 134, H.R. 150,
H.R. 196, S. 65, and H.R. 398);
2 Base pay is the pay rate before locality pay is added. This limitation was included in P.L. 103-356, 108 Stat. 3410-
3411, October 13, 1994; 2 U.S.C. 4501(2)(B).
3 For additional information on these annual adjustments, including actions to modify or deny the scheduled increases,
see CRS Report 97-615, Salaries of Members of Congress: Congressional Votes, 1990-2013, by Ida A. Brudnick.
4 P.L. 112-240, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (January 2, 2013), froze Member pay at the 2009 level for
FY2013 (see notes for Table 3). Additional, broader, federal pay freeze legislation introduced in the 113th Congress
may be potentially related (for example, H.R. 273 and H.R. 933), although under 2 U.S.C. 4501(2)(A), Member pay
adjustments are “effective at the beginning of the first applicable pay period commencing on or after the first day of the
month in which an adjustment takes effect under section 5303 of title 5 in the rates of pay under the General Schedule”
and the “first day of the fiscal year in which such adjustment in the rates of pay under the General Schedule takes
effect.” Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5303, General Schedule adjustments are “Effective as of the first day of the first
applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1 of each calendar year ... ” Since 1992, pay adjustments for
Members of Congress have been effective (or retroactive to) January 1 (see Table 1).
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• change the procedure by which pay for Members of Congress is adjusted or
disbursed by linking it to congressional actions or economic indicators, including
passage of a budget resolution or reaching the debt limit (for example, H.R. 108,
H.R. 167, H.R. 284, H.R. 308, H.R. 310, H.R. 325, H.R. 372, H.R. 397, H.R.
396, H.R. 522, H.R. 593, H.R. 1884, H.R. 2335, H.R. 3234, S. 18, S. 30, and S.
263);
• reduce the pay of Members of Congress (for example, H.R. 37, H.R. 150, H.R.
391, H.R. 396, H.R. 398, and H.R. 1467);
• prohibit pay for Members of Congress during a lapse in appropriations resulting
in a government shutdown (for example, H.R. 3160, H.R. 3215, H.R. 3224, H.R.
3234, and H.R. 3236);5 and
• apply any sequester to Member pay (for example, S. 436, H.R. 1181, H.R. 1478,
and H.R. 2677).6
Linking Salaries to Passage of a Concurrent Resolution on the
Budget: Votes in the 113th Congress
H.R. 325, which (1) included language holding congressional salaries in escrow if a concurrent
resolution on the budget was not agreed to by April 15, 2013, and (2) provided for a temporary
extension of the debt ceiling through May 18, 2013, was introduced on January 21, 2013.7
Salaries would have been held in escrow for Members in a chamber if that chamber had not
5 Members of Congress continue to receive their pay during a lapse in appropriations for a number of reasons. Article I,
§ 6 of the Constitution states, “Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be
ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.” The 27th Amendment to the Constitution added:
“No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an
election of Representatives shall have intervened.” Member salaries have been provided by a permanent, mandatory,
appropriation since the enactment of P.L. 97-51 (95 Stat. 966, September 11, 1981, 2 U.S.C. §4501 note). Finally, the
Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Principles of Federal Appropriations Law states: “The salary of a Member
of Congress is fixed by statute and therefore cannot be waived without specific statutory authority. B-159835, Apr. 22,
1975; B-123424, Mar. 7, 1975; B-123424, Apr. 15, 1955; A-8427, Mar. 19, 1925; B-206396.2, Nov. 15, 1988
(nondecision letter). However, as each of these cases points out, nothing prevents a Senator or Representative from
accepting the salary and then, as several have done, donate part or all of it back to the United States Treasury.” (U.S.
Government Accountability Office, Principles of Federal Appropriations Law, Volume II, Third Edition, Feb. 2006, p.
6-105, http://www.gao.gov/assets/210/202819.pdf).
6 As in previous years, OMB has determined that Member pay is not subject to sequestration (Appendix A. Preliminary
Estimates of Sequestrable and Exempt Budgetary Resources and Reduction in Sequestrable Budgetary Resources by
OMB Account - FY 2013 and Appendix B. Preliminary Sequestrable / Exempt Classification by OMB Account and
Type of Budgetary Resource, in OMB Report Pursuant to the Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-155),
available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/assets/legislative_reports/stareport.pdf.) Bills have been
introduced in prior Congresses that would apply sequestration to Member salaries (for example, H.R. 4675, 99th Cong.;
H.Res. 481, 101st Cong.; H.R. 5585, 101st Cong.; S.Amdt. 3044 to S. 3209, 101st Cong.; S.Amdt. 2916 to H.R. 5558,
101st Cong.; S. 3051, 101st Cong.; H.R. 5587, 101st Cong.; H.R. 5718, 101st Cong.; S.Amdt. 2760 to S. 1224, 101st
Cong.; S.Amdt. 2881 and S.Amdt. 2884 to S. 110, 101st Cong.; S. 99, 102nd Cong; S. 713, 103rd Cong.; and S.Amdt. 15
to S. 2, 104th Cong.).
7 The bill states: “If by April 15, 2013, a House of Congress has not agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget for
fiscal year 2014 pursuant to section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, during the period described in
paragraph (2) the payroll administrator of that House of Congress shall deposit in an escrow account all payments
otherwise required to be made during such period for the compensation of Members of Congress who serve in that
House of Congress ... ”
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agreed to a concurrent resolution by that date. Salaries would have been released from the escrow
account either when that chamber agreed to a concurrent resolution on the budget or the last day
of the 113th Congress, whichever was earlier. H.R. 325 was agreed to in the House on January 23,
2013, and the Senate on January 31, 2013. It was enacted on February 4, 2013 (P.L. 113-3). Both
the House and Senate agreed to a budget resolution prior to that date, however, and salaries were
not held in escrow.
Linking Salaries to the Debt Limit: Votes in the 113th Congress
H.R. 807, the Full Faith and Credit Act, was introduced in the House on February 25, 2013. The
bill would prioritize certain payments in the event the debt reaches the statutory limit. An
amendment, H.Amdt. 61, was offered on May 9, 2013, that would clarify that these obligations
would not include compensation for Members of Congress. It was agreed to the same day. The
bill passed the House on May 13, 2013.
H.J.Res. 59, the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014, which would temporarily fund the
government through December 15, 2013, and prohibit funding to carry out any provisions of the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also contained a provision addressing actions by the
Secretary of the Treasury in the event that the debt limit is reached and not raised. The provision
(section 138) would, in part, prohibit borrowing to provide pay for Members of Congress in the
event that the debt reaches the statutory limit prior to December 15, 2014. The bill passed the
House on September 20, 2013.
January 2015 Member Pay Adjustment Projection
and Recent Action
The maximum potential January 2015 pay adjustment of 1.6%, or $2,800, was known when the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released data for the change in the Employment Cost Index
(ECI) during the 12-month period from December 2012 to December 2013 on January 31, 2014.8
Each year, the adjustment takes effect automatically unless it is either denied statutorily by
Congress, or limited by the General Schedule (GS) base pay adjustment, since the percentage
increase in Member pay is limited by law to the GS base pay percentage increase.
The FY2015 legislative branch appropriations bill (H.R. 4487), as reported by the Committee on
Appropriations and passed by the House on May 1, 2014, contained a provision prohibiting this
adjustment.9
8 The potential Member pay adjustment was determined by a formula using the Employment Cost Index (private
industry wages and salaries, not seasonally adjusted), based on the percentage change reflected in the quarter ending
December 31 for the two preceding years, minus 0.5%. The 1.6% adjustment was determined by taking the percentage
increase in the Index between the quarters ending December 2012 and December 2013, which was 2.1%, and
subtracting 0.5%. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Cost Index—December 2013
(Washington: January 31, 2014), p. 3. Pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 4501(2)(A), this amount is “rounded to the nearest multiple
of $100.”
9Although discussion of Member pay is often associated with appropriations bills, the legislative branch bill does not
contain language funding or increasing Member pay, and a provision prohibiting the automatic Member pay
adjustments could be included in any bill, or be introduced as a separate bill.
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January 2014 Member Pay Adjustment Denied
The maximum potential 2014 pay adjustment of 1.2%, or $2,100, was known when the Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS) released data for the change in the Employment Cost Index (ECI) during
the 12-month period from December 2011 to December 2012 on January 31, 2013.10 The
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 (P.L. 113-46, enacted October 17, 2013), however,
prohibited the scheduled 2014 pay adjustment for Members of Congress.
Each year, the adjustment takes effect automatically unless it is either:
• denied statutorily by Congress, or
• limited by the General Schedule (GS) base pay adjustment, since the percentage
increase in Member pay is limited by law to the GS base pay percentage increase.
The scheduled January 2014 across-the-board increase in the base pay of GS
employees under the annual adjustment formula was 1.3%. A scheduled GS
annual pay increase may be altered only if the President issues an alternative plan
or if a different increase, or freeze, is enacted. The President issued an alternate
pay plan for civilian federal employees on August 30, 2013.11 This plan called for
a January 2014 across-the-board pay increase of 1.0% for federal civilian
employees, the same percentage as proposed in the President’s FY2014 budget.
Legislation was not enacted to prohibit or alter the GS adjustment,12 and
Executive Order 13655, issued on December 23, 2013, implemented a 1.0%
increase for GS employees.13 Had the Member pay adjustment not been
prohibited by law, the GS base pay adjustment would have automatically limited
a salary adjustment for Members of Congress to 1.0% ($1,700).
Member Pay: Proposals and Actions in the
112th Congress
As in previous Congresses, bills were introduced in the 112th Congress to
10 The potential Member pay adjustment was determined by a formula using the Employment Cost Index (private
industry wages and salaries, not seasonally adjusted), based on the percentage change reflected in the quarter ending
December 31 for the two preceding years, minus 0.5%. The 1.2% adjustment was determined by taking the percentage
increase in the Index between the quarters ending December 2011 and December 2012, which was 1.7%, and
subtracting 0.5%. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Cost Index—December 2012
(Washington: January 31, 2013), p. 3. Pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 4501(2)(A), this amount is “rounded to the nearest multiple
of $100.”
11 Available at http://m.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/30/letter-president-regarding-alternate-pay-civilian-
federal-employees.
12 See, however, language in two House Appropriations Committee reports (H.Rept. 113-90 and H.Rept. 113-91)
stating: “The Committee does not include requested funding for a civilian pay increase. Should the President provide a
civilian pay raise for fiscal year 2014, it is assumed that the cost of such a pay raise will be absorbed within existing
appropriations for fiscal year 2014.” (pp. 2-3 and pp. 3-4).
13 As in prior years, schedule 6 of the executive order listed the pay rate for Members of Congress for the upcoming
year. See footnote 19 and associated text for additional information on the inclusion of Member pay information in
executive orders.
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• repeal the automatic pay adjustment provision (for example, S. 133, S. 148, H.R.
187, H.R. 235, H.R. 246, H.R. 343, H.R. 431, H.R. 3673);
• change the procedure by which pay for Members of Congress is adjusted or
disbursed by linking it to other action or economic indicators (for example, H.R.
124, H.R. 172, H.R. 236, H.R. 994, H.R. 1454, H.R. 3136, H.R. 3565, H.R. 3774,
H.R. 3799, H.R. 3883, H.R. 4036, H.R. 6438, S. 1442);
• reduce the pay of Members of Congress (for example, H.R. 204, H.R. 270, H.R.
335, H.R. 1012, H.R. 4399);
• otherwise alter or restrict pay for Members under certain conditions (for example,
H.R. 6108); and
• freeze Member pay (for example, S. 1931, S. 1936, S. 2065, S. 2079, S. 2210,
H.R. 3858, H.R. 6474, H.R. 6720, H.R. 6721, H.R. 6722).
Actions Related to Member Pay During a Lapse in Appropriations
Legislation was also introduced in the 112th Congress that would have affected Member pay in
the event of a lapse of appropriations resulting in a government shutdown. These included H.R.
819, H.R. 1255, H.R. 1305, H.Con.Res. 56, and S. 388.
The Senate passed S. 388 on March 1, 2011.14 The bill would have prohibited Members of the
House and Senate from receiving pay, including retroactive pay, for each day that there is a lapse
in appropriations or the federal government is unable to make payments or meet obligations
because of the public debt limit. The House passed H.R. 1255 on April 1, 2011. The bill would
have prohibited the disbursement of pay to Members of the House and Senate during either of
these situations.15 No further action was taken on either bill.
On April 8, 2011, the Speaker of the House issued a “Dear Colleague” letter indicating that in the
event of a shutdown, Members of Congress would continue to be paid pursuant to the Twenty-
Seventh Amendment to the Constitution, which as stated above, states: “No law, varying the
compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an
election of Representatives shall have intervened”—although Members could elect to return any
compensation to the Treasury.
Additional Legislation Receiving Floor Action but Not Enacted
Additional legislation to prohibit any Member pay adjustment in 2013 was introduced but not
enacted in the 112th Congress, including the following:
• Section 5421(b)(1) of H.R. 3630, as introduced in the House, would have
prohibited any adjustment for Members of Congress prior to December 31, 2013.
Section 706 of the motion to recommit also contained language freezing Member
pay.16 On December 13, 2011, the motion to recommit failed (183-244, roll call
14 Cong. Rec., March 1, 2011, pp. S1051-1052.
15 Cong. Rec., April 1, 2011, pp.H2239-2251.
16 Congressional Record, December 13, 2011, p. H8822.
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#922), and the bill passed the House (234-193, roll call #923). The House-passed
version of the bill was titled the “Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act
of 2011.” The Senate substitute amendment, which did not address pay
adjustments, passed on December 17. It was titled the “Temporary Payroll Tax
Cut Continuation Act of 2011.” The bill was enacted on February 22, 2012 (P.L.
112-96) without the pay freeze language.
• H.R. 3835, introduced on January 27, 2012, also would have extended the pay
freeze for federal employees, including Members of Congress, to December 31,
2013. This bill passed the House on February 1, 2012.
• H.R. 6726, introduced on January 1, 2013, would have extended the pay freeze
for federal employees, including Members of Congress, to December 31, 2013.
This bill passed the House on January 2, 2013.
January 2013 Member Pay Adjustment Delayed
and Then Denied
The maximum potential 2013 pay adjustment of 1.1%, or $1,900, was known when the Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS) released data for the change in the Employment Cost Index (ECI) during
the 12-month period from December 2010 to December 2011 on January 31, 2012.17 The
adjustment takes effect automatically unless (1) denied statutorily by Congress or (2) limited by
the General Schedule (GS) base pay adjustment, since the percentage increase in Member pay is
limited by law to the GS base pay percentage increase.
The President’s budget, submitted on February 13, 2012, proposed an average (i.e., base and
locality) 0.5% adjustment for General Schedule (GS) employees.18
Partial Year Pay Freeze Enacted
President Obama later stated in a letter to congressional leadership on August 21, 2012, that the
current federal pay freeze should extend until FY2013 budget negotiations are finalized.19 Section
114 of H.J.Res. 117, the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013, which was introduced on
September 10, 2012, extended the freeze enacted by P.L. 111-322 through the duration of this
continuing resolution. H.J.Res. 117 was passed by the House on September 13 and the Senate on
September 22. It was signed by the President on September 28, 2012 (P.L. 112-175). A delay in
17 The annual Member pay adjustment was determined by a formula using the Employment Cost Index (private
industry wages and salaries, not seasonally adjusted), based on the percentage change reflected in the quarter ending
December 31 for the two preceding years, minus 0.5%. The 1.1% adjustment was determined by taking the percentage
increase in the Index between the quarters ending December 2010 and December 2011, which was 1.6%, and
subtracting 0.5%. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Cost Index—December 2011
(Washington: January 31, 2012), p. 3.
18 Office of Management and Budget, Analytical Perspectives, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year
2013, Performance and Management (Washington, GPO: 2012), Table 2-1: Economic Assumptions, p. 17 and p. 114.
19 “Letter from the President Regarding an Alternative Plan for Pay Increases for Civilian Federal Employees,” Text of
a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate, August 21,
2012, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/08/21/letter-president-regarding-alternative-plan-
pay-increases-civilian-feder.
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the implementation of pay adjustments for GS employees automatically delays any scheduled
Member pay adjustment.
Executive Order Issued and Subsequent Pay Freeze Enacted
On December 27, 2012, President Obama issued Executive Order 13635, which listed the rates of
pay for various categories of officers and employees that would be effective after the expiration
of the freeze extended by P.L. 112-175. The executive order included a 0.5% increase for GS base
pay, which automatically lowered the maximum potential Member pay adjustment from 1.1% to
0.5%.
As in prior years, schedule 6 of the 2012 executive order listed the pay rate for Members of
Congress for the upcoming year.20 This executive order indicated that an annual adjustment
would take effect after the expiration of the freeze included in P.L. 112-175. As stated above, the
annual adjustments take effect automatically if legislation is not enacted preventing them. The
Executive Order, however, by establishing the GS pay adjustment at a lower rate than the
scheduled Member pay adjustment, automatically lowered the Member pay adjustment rate since
by law Member pay adjustments cannot be higher than GS pay adjustments.
Subsequently, a provision in H.R. 8, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which was
enacted on January 2, 2013 (P.L. 112-240), froze Member pay at the 2009 level for 2013. The
language was included in S.Amdt. 3448, a substitute amendment agreed to by unanimous
consent. The bill, as amended, passed the Senate (89-8, vote #251) and the House (257-167, roll
call #659) on January 1, 2013. This freeze was subsequently reflected in Executive Order 13641,
which was signed April 5, 2013.
This represented the second time, the first being in 2006, that Member pay was statutorily frozen
for only a portion of the following year at the time of the issuance of the executive order. In both
instances, the executive order listed new pay rates and indicated an effective date following the
expiration of the statutory freeze. Pay adjustments in both years were further frozen pursuant to
subsequent laws.21
20 Prior executive orders listing the rates of pay for Members of Congress include Executive Order 12944 of December
28, 1994; Executive Order 12984 of December 28, 1995; Executive Order 13071 of December 29, 1997; Executive
Order 13106 of December 7, 1998; Executive Order 13144 of December 21, 1999; Executive Order 13182 of
December 23, 2000; Executive Order 13249 of December 28, 2001; Executive Order 13282 of December 31, 2002;
Executive Order 13322 of December 30, 2003; Executive Order 13332 of March 3, 2004; Executive Order 13368 of
December 30, 2004; Executive Order 13393 of December 22, 2005; Executive Order 13420 of December 21, 2006;
Executive Order 13454 of January 4, 2008; Executive Order 13483 of December 18, 2008; Executive Order 13525 of
December 23, 2009; Executive Order 13561 of December 22, 2010; and Executive Order 13594 of December 19, 2011.
Pay rates for Members of Congress generally are listed in “Schedule 6.” In most years, the Executive Orders state that
the pay rates in this schedule are “effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after
January 1.”
21 P.L. 110-5, for the 2007 scheduled pay adjustment, and P.L. 112-240, for the 2013 scheduled pay adjustment.
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
January 2011 and January 2012 Member Pay
Adjustments Denied
As stated above, projected Member pay adjustments are calculated based on changes in the
Employment Cost Index (ECI). The projected 2011 adjustment of 0.9% was known when the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released data for the ECI change during the 12-month period
from December 2008 to December 2009 on January 29, 2010.22 This adjustment would have
equaled a $1,600 increase, resulting in a salary of $175,600.
The 2011 pay adjustment was prohibited by the enactment of H.R. 5146 (P.L. 111-165) on May
14, 2010. H.R. 5146 was introduced in the House on April 27 and was agreed to the same day
(Roll no. 226). It was agreed to in the Senate the following day by unanimous consent. Other
legislation was also introduced to prevent the scheduled 2011 pay adjustment.23
Additionally, P.L. 111-322, which was enacted on December 22, 2010, prevents any adjustment in
GS base pay before December 31, 2012. Since the percent adjustment in Member pay may not
exceed the percent adjustment in the base pay of GS employees, Member pay is also frozen
during this period. If not limited by GS pay, Members could have received a salary adjustment of
1.3% in January 2012 under the ECI formula.24 Pay for Members of Congress remained
$174,000.
January 2010 Member Pay Adjustment Denied
Under the formula established in the Ethics Reform Act, Members were originally scheduled to
receive a pay adjustment in January 2010 of 2.1%.25 This adjustment was denied by Congress
through a provision included in the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act. Section 103 of
22 The annual Member pay adjustment was determined by a formula using the Employment Cost Index (private
industry wages and salaries, not seasonally adjusted), based on the percentage change reflected in the quarter ending
December 31 for the two preceding years, minus 0.5%. The 0.9% adjustment was determined by taking the percentage
increase in the Index between the quarters ending December 2008 and December 2009, which was 1.4%, and
subtracting 0.5%. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Cost Index—December 2009
(Washington: January 29, 2010), p. 2.
23 H.R. 4255, introduced December 9, 2009; H.R. 4423, introduced January 12, 2010; S. 3074, introduced March 4,
2010; S. 3198, introduced March 14, 2010; and S. 3244, introduced April 22, 2010.
24 The annual Member pay adjustment was determined by a formula using the Employment Cost Index (private
industry wages and salaries, not seasonally adjusted), based on the percentage change reflected in the quarter ending
December 31 for the two preceding years, minus 0.5%. The 1.3% potential adjustment was determined by taking the
percentage increase in the Index between the quarters ending December 2009 and December 2010, which was 1.8%,
and subtracting 0.5%. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Cost Index—December
2010 (Washington: January 28, 2011), p. 3. See also: “Schedule 6—Vice President and Members of Congress,”
Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay, Executive Order 13594, December 23, 2011, Federal Register, vol. 76, no. 247
(Washington, GPO: 2011), pp. 80191-80196.
25 The annual Member pay adjustment was determined by a formula using the Employment Cost Index (private
industry wages and salaries, not seasonally adjusted), based on the percentage change reflected in the quarter ending
December 31 for the two preceding years, minus 0.5%. The 2.1% adjustment was determined by taking the percentage
increase in the Index between the quarters ending December 2007 and December 2008, which was 2.6%, and
subtracting 0.5%. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Cost Index—December 2008
(Washington: January 31, 2009), pp. 2, 17.
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Division J of the act states, “Notwithstanding any provision of section 601(a)(2) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31(2)), the percentage adjustment scheduled to
take effect under any such provision in calendar year 2010 shall not take effect.”26
Had this provision not been enacted, the 2.1% projected adjustment would have been
automatically reduced to 1.5% to match the 2010 GS base pay adjustment.27
Historical Information and Explanation of Tables
Table 1 provides a history of the salaries of Members of Congress since 1789. For each salary
rate, both the effective date and the statutory authority are provided. The salaries shown are the
payable salaries, indicating the rate actually paid to Members of Congress. From 1976 to 1983,
the salary actually paid to Members was less than the salary to which Members were entitled. The
difference arose because Members were entitled to salaries authorized pursuant to the annual pay
comparability procedure (P.L. 94-82). However, on several occasions Congress did not
appropriate funds to pay any or a portion of the new salary increases authorized by P.L. 94-82.
Table 2 provides information on pay adjustments for Members since 1992, which was the first
full year after the Ethics Reform Act that Representatives and Senators received the same salary.
The table provides the projected percentage changes under the formula based on the Employment
Cost Index and the actual percentage adjustment. The differences between the projected and
actual Member pay adjustments resulted from
• the enactment of legislation preventing the increase (adjustments for 1994, 1995,
1996, 1997, 1999, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014);
• limits on the percentage increase of Member pay because of the percentage
increase in GS base pay (adjustments for 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001,
2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014); and
• a combination of the above. In some years, the percentage adjustment for
Member pay would have been lowered to match the percentage adjustment in GS
base pay if Congress had not passed legislation denying the adjustment
(adjustments for 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014).
Table 3 lists the laws which have previously delayed or prohibited Member pay adjustments, the
dates these laws were enacted, and the text of the provision. While many of the bills in this list
are appropriations bills, a prohibition on Member pay adjustments could be included in any bill,
or be introduced as a separate bill.28
Figure 1, which follows, shows the salary of Members of Congress in constant and current
dollars since 1992.
26 P.L. 111-8, March 11, 2009.
27 The 1.5% GS base adjustment was finalized by U.S. President (Obama), “Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay,”
Executive Order 13525, Federal Register, vol. 74, December 23, 2009, pp. 69231- 69242.
28 Stand-alone bills prohibiting an adjustment in Member pay introduced in recent Congresses include, for example,
(111th Congress) H.R. 4255, H.R. 4423, H.R. 156, H.R. 282, and H.R. 395; (110th Congress) H.R. 2916, H.R. 2934,
H.R. 5087, H.R. 5091, and H.R. 6417; and (109th Congress) H.R. 4134 and H.R. 4047.
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
Table 1. Salary Adjustments for Members of Congress Since 1789
(date of adjustment and authority)
Payable Salary
(Current Dollars)a
Effective Date
Statutory Authority
$6 per diemb
March 4, 1789
1 Stat. 70-71
(September 22, 1789)
$6 per diem (Representatives)
March 4, 1795
1 Stat. 70-71
(September 22, 1789)
$7 per diem (Senators)
$6 per diem
March 3, 1796
1 Stat. 448
(March 10, 1796)
$1,500
December 4, 1815
3 Stat. 257
(March 19, 1816)
$6 per diem (Representatives)
March 3, 1817
3 Stat. 345
(February 6, 1817)
$7 per diem (Senators)
$8 per diem
March 3, 1817
3 Stat. 404
(January 22, 1818)
$3,000
December 3, 1855
11 Stat. 48
(August 16, 1856)
$3,000c
December 23, 1857
11 Stat. 367
(December 23, 1857)
$5,000
December 4, 1865
14 Stat. 323
(July 28, 1866)
$7,500
March 4, 1871
17 Stat. 486
(March 3, 1873)
$5,000
January 20, 1874
18 Stat. 4
(January 20, 1874)
$7,500
March 4, 1907
34 Stat. 993
(February 26, 1907)
$10,000
March 4, 1925
43 Stat. 1301
(March 4, 1925)
$9,000d
July 1, 1932
47 Stat. 401
(June 30, 1932)
$8,500
April 1, 1933
48 Stat. 14
(March 20, 1933)
$9,000
February 1, 1934
48 Stat. 521
(March 28, 1934)
$9,500
July 1, 1934
48 Stat. 521
(March 28, 1934)
$10,000
April 4, 1935
49 Stat. 24
(February 13, 1935)
$12,500
January 3, 1947
60 Stat. 850
(August 2, 1946)
$22,500
March 1, 1955
69 Stat. 11
(March 2, 1955)
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
Payable Salary
(Current Dollars)a
Effective Date
Statutory Authority
$30,000
January 3, 1965
78 Stat. 415
(August 14, 1964)
$42,500
March 1, 1969
81 Stat. 642
(December 16, 1967)
$44,600
October 1, 1975
89 Stat. 421
(August 9, 1975)
$57,500
March 1, 1977
81 Stat. 642
(December 16, 1967)
$60,662.50
October 1, 1979
89 Stat. 421
(August 9, 1975)
$69,800 December
18,
1982
96 Stat. 1914
(Representatives)
(December 21, 1982)
July 1, 1983 (Senators)
97 Stat. 338
(July 30, 1983)
$72,600
January 1, 1984
89 Stat. 421
(August 9, 1975)
$75,100
January 1, 1985
89 Stat. 421
(August 9, 1975)
$77,400
January 1, 1987
89 Stat. 421
(August 9, 1975)
$89,500
February 4, 1987
81 Stat. 642
(December 16, 1967)
$96,600e (Representatives)
February 1, 1990
103 Stat. 1767-1768
(November 30, 1989)
$98,400 (Senators)
February 1, 1990
103 Stat. 1767-1768
(November 30, 1989)
$125,100 (Representatives)
January 1, 1991
103 Stat. 1768-1769
(November 30, 1989)
$101,900 (Senators)
January 1, 1991
103 Stat. 1769
(November 30, 1989)
$125,100 (Senators)
August 14, 1991
105 Stat. 450
(August 14, 1991)
$129,500
January 1, 1992
103 Stat.1769
(November 30, 1989)
$133,600
January 1, 1993
103 Stat. 1769
(November 30, 1989)
$136,700
January 1, 1998
103 Stat. 1769
(November 30, 1989)
$141,300
January 1, 2000
103 Stat. 1769
(November 30, 1989)
$145,100
January 1, 2001
103 Stat. 1769
(November 30, 1989)
$150,000
January 1, 2002
103 Stat. 1769
(November 30, 1989)
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
Payable Salary
(Current Dollars)a
Effective Date
Statutory Authority
$154,700
January 1, 2003
103 Stat. 1769
(November 30, 1989)
$158,100
January 1, 2004
103 Stat. 1769
(November 30, 1989)
$162,100
January 1, 2005
103 Stat. 1769
(November 30, 1989)
$165,200
January 1, 2006
103 Stat. 1769
(November 30, 1989)
$169,300
January 1, 2008
103 Stat. 1769
(November 30, 1989)
$174,000
January 1, 2009
103 Stat. 1769
(November 30, 1989)
Source: Congressional Research Service.
a. Pay rates listed are applicable for Senators and Representatives unless otherwise specified. From 1976 to
1983, the salary actually paid to Members was less than the salary to which Members were entitled. The
difference arose because Members were entitled to salaries authorized pursuant to the annual pay
comparability procedure (P.L. 94-82). However, on several occasions Congress did not appropriate funds
to pay any or part of the new salary increases authorized by P.L. 94-82. Accordingly, the salaries shown in
this table are the payable rates, indicating the salaries actually paid to Members of Congress.
b. From 1789 to 1856, Senators and Representatives received a per diem pay rate for their attendance while
Congress was in session, except for the period December 1815—March 1817, when they received $1,500 a
year. First established at $6 a day in 1789 for Senators and Representatives, the per diem for Senators was
increased to $7 beginning March 4, 1795, pursuant to language in the 1789 act. A March 10, 1796, act
returned the per diem for Senators to $6 for each day of attendance while the Senate was in session.
Although a law providing for annual salaries was enacted during the 14th Congress, it was repealed on
February 6, 1817, and pay reverted to a per diem basis. The per diem rate was raised to $8 in 1818
(retroactive to March 3, 1817) and remained there until 1856, when Members of Congress began to receive
annual salaries. A list of al session dates and lengths is available at http://history.house.gov/Institution/
Session-Dates/Session-Dates/.
c. In 1857, Congress provided for pay at the rate of $250 per month while in session, or a maximum of $3,000
per annum.
d. The act authorized the restoration of pay as of February 1, 1934, and the restoration of pay as of July 1,
1934.
e. The Ethics Reform Act of 1989 (103 Stat. 1767-1768) increased pay for Representatives and Senators at
different rates. The pay of Representatives was increased to reflect the previously denied 1989 and 1990
pay adjustments (4.1% and 3.6%), compounded at 7.9%, effective February 1, 1990. The act further provided
for a 25% increase in Representatives’ pay, effective January 1, 1991. As a result, the pay of Representatives
increased from $89,500 to $96,600 on February 1, 1990, and increased to $125,100 on January 1, 1991. The
pay of Senators was increased to reflect the previously denied 1988, 1989, and 1990 comparability pay
adjustments (2%, 4.1%, and 3.6%), compounded at 9.9%, effective February 1, 1990. As a result, the pay of
Senators increased from $89,500 to $98,400 on February 1, 1990. The Ethics Act did not provide for any
other pay increase for Senators, as it did in providing a 25% increase for Representatives. The reason is that
Senators elected to deny themselves the 25% increase while retaining the ability to receive honoraria.
Subsequently, the Senate voted to increase its pay rate to that of Representatives and to prohibit receipt of
honoraria by Senators, effective August 14, 1991. As a result, Senate pay increased from $101,900 to
$125,100 per annum.
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
Table 2. Member Pay Projected vs. Actual Adjustments Since 1992
Projected Percent
Adjustment Under
Actual Percent
Yeara
ECI Formulab
Adjustment
1992 3.5% 3.5%
1993 3.2% 3.2%
1994 2.1%
0
1995 2.6%
0
1996 2.3%
0
1997 2.3%
0
1998 2.9% 2.3%
1999 3.4%
0
2000 3.4% 3.4%
2001 3.0% 2.7%
2002 3.4% 3.4%
2003 3.3% 3.1%
2004a 2.2% 2.2%
2005 2.5% 2.5%
2006 1.9% 1.9%
2007 2.0%
0
2008 2.7% 2.5%
2009 2.8% 2.8%
2010 2.1%
0
2011 0.9%
0
2012 1.3%
0
2013 1.1%
0
2014 1.2%
0
2015
1.6%
Not yet known
Source: Congressional Research Service analysis of BLS data, public laws, and executive orders.
a. As seen in Table 1, since 1992, Member pay adjustments have been effective in January. In 2004, the
adjustment was effective in two stages. The first adjustment increased Members’ salary by 1.5%, to which
they were initial y limited because by law they may not receive an annual adjustment greater than the
increase in the base pay of GS federal employees. After the passage of the FY2004 Consolidated
Appropriations Act, Members received the full 2.2% pay increase, with 0.7% retroactive to the first pay
period in January 2004.
b. Projected increase is based on the formula established in the Ethics Reform Act. This is equivalent to the
percentage change in the Employment Cost Index (private industry wages and salaries, not seasonally
adjusted) reflected in the quarter ending December 31 for the two preceding years, minus 0.5%.
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
Table 3. Legislative Vehicles Denying or Delaying Pay Adjustments, Enacted Dates,
and Pay Language
Pay Year
Bill
Public Law
Enacted Date
Bill Title
1994
H.R. 920, 103rd Congress
P.L. 103-6
March 4, 1993
Emergency Unemployment Compensation
Amendments of 1993a
1995
H.R. 4539, 103rd Congress
P.L. 103-329
September 28, 1994 Treasury, Postal Service and General
Government Appropriations Act, 1995b
1996
H.R. 2020, 104th Congress
P.L. 104-52
November 15, 1995 Treasury, Postal Service, and General
Government Appropriations Act, 1996c
1997
H.R. 3610, 104th Congress
P.L. 104-208
September 30, 1996 Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act,
1997d
1999
H.R. 4328, 105th Congress
P.L. 105-277
October 21, 1998
Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999e
2007
H.J.Res. 102, 109th Congress
P.L. 109-383
December 9, 2006
Making further continuing appropriations for the
(partial
FY2007, and for other purposesg
year)f
2007
H.J.Res. 20, 110th Congress
P.L. 110-5
February 15, 2007
Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution,
2007h
2010
H.R. 1105, 111th Congress
P.L. 111-8
March 11, 2009
Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009i
2011
H.R. 5146, 111th Congress
P.L. 111-165
May 14, 2010
To provide that Members of Congress shal not
receive a cost of living adjustment in pay during
fiscal year 2011j
2012
H.R. 3082, 111th Congress
P.L. 111-322
December 22, 2010
Continuing Appropriations and Surface
Transportation Extensions Act, 2011k
2013
H.J.Res. 117, 112th Congress
P.L. 112-175
September 28, 2012 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013l
(partial
year)f
2013
H.R. 8, 112th Congress
P.L. 112-240
January 2, 2013
American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012m
2014
H.R. 2775, 113th Congress
P.L. 113-46
October 17, 2013
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014n
Source: Congressional Research Service examination of enacted legislation.
Notes: The provisions footnoted below have been delayed or prohibited Member pay adjustments.
a. “Notwithstanding section 601(a)(2) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31(2)), the cost
of living adjustment (relating to pay for Members of Congress) which would become effective under such
provision of law during calendar year 1994 shall not take effect.”
b. “For purposes of each provision of law amended by section 704(a)(2) of the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 (5
U.S.C. 5318 note), no adjustment under section 5303 of title 5, United States Code, shal be considered to
have taken effect in fiscal year 1995 in the rates of basic pay for the statutory pay systems.”
c. “For purposes of each provision of law amended by section 704(a)(2) of the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 (5
U.S.C. 5318 note), no adjustment under section 5303 of title 5, United States Code, shal be considered to
have taken effect in fiscal year 1996 in the rates of basic pay for the statutory pay systems.”
d. “For purposes of each provision of law amended by section 704(a)(2) of the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 (5
U.S.C. 5318 note), no adjustment under section 5303 of title 5, United States Code, shal be considered to
have taken effect in fiscal year 1997 in the rates of basic pay for the statutory pay systems.”
e. “For purposes of each provision of law amended by section 704(a)(2) of the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 (5
U.S.C. 5318 note), no adjustment under section 5303 of title 5, United States Code, shal be considered to
have taken effect in fiscal year 1999 in the rates of basic pay for the statutory pay systems.”
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
f.
The partial year pay freezes for 2007 and 2013 were included in joint resolutions providing continuing
funding for a portion of the fiscal year and continued for the duration of the continuing resolution.
g. “Notwithstanding any other provision of this division and notwithstanding section 601(a)(2) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31), the percentage adjustment scheduled to take effect
under such section for 2007 shal not take effect until February 16, 2007.”
h. “Notwithstanding any other provision of this division and notwithstanding section 601(a)(2) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31), the percentage adjustment scheduled to take effect
under such section for 2007 shal not take effect.”
i.
“Notwithstanding any provision of section 601(a)(2) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C.
31(2)), the percentage adjustment scheduled to take effect under any such provision in calendar year 2010
shall not take effect.”
j.
“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no adjustment shal be made under section 601(a) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31) (relating to cost of living adjustments for Members of
Congress) during fiscal year 2011.”
k. “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except as provided in subsection (e), no statutory pay
adjustment which (but for this subsection) would otherwise take effect during the period beginning on
January 1, 2011, and ending on December 31, 2012, shal be made.”
l.
“(a) Section 147 of P.L. 111-242, as added by P.L. 111-322, shal be applied by substituting the date specified
in section 106(3) of this joint resolution for `December 31, 2012’ each place it appears (b) Notwithstanding
any other provision of law, any statutory pay adjustment (as defined in section 147(b)(2) of the Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2011 (P.L. 111-242)) otherwise scheduled to take effect during fiscal year 2013 but
prior to the date specified in section 106(3) of this joint resolution may take effect on the first day of the
first applicable pay period beginning after the date specified in section 106(3).”
m. “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no adjustment shal be made under section 601(a) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31) (relating to cost of living adjustments for Members of
Congress) during fiscal year 2013.”
n. “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no adjustment shal be made under section 610(a) of the
Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 31) (relating to cost of living adjustments for Members of
Congress) during fiscal year 2014.”
Figure 1. Salary for Members of Congress: Current and Constant Dollars, 1992-2014
Source: Congressional Research Service.
Note: The figure provides information since 1992, which was the first full year after the Ethics Reform Act that
Representatives and Senators received the same salary. Constant dol ars based on Consumer Price Index for Al
Congressional Research Service
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Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
Urban Consumers (CPI-U, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor). 2014 constant dol ars are
based on the CPI-U average (Jan.-Apr.).
Author Contact Information
Ida A. Brudnick
Specialist on the Congress
ibrudnick@crs.loc.gov, 7-6460
Acknowledgments
This report was originally written by Paul E. Dwyer, formerly a Specialist in American National
Government at CRS, who has since retired.
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