Senators vote to raise their pay 3.1 percent

WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Wednesday voted to give itself its annual pay raise, the fourth time lawmakers' salaries have increased in the past four years.

The Senate, without debate, voted 58-36 to reject a measure by Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., that would have denied the congressional pay raise. Florida's Democratic senators divided on the measure: Bob Graham voted for it and Bill Nelson voted against it.

With the slumping economy and financial markets, job layoffs and federal budget deficits, "this is the wrong time for Congress to give itself a pay hike," Feingold said in a statement.

The House cleared the way for the raise back in July.

With the 3.1 percent pay raise, senators and representatives will make $154,700 next year instead of the $150,000 they made this year. Lawmakers' salaries have gone up $18,000 since 1999.

Under a 1989 law, congressional pay raises, determined by a complicated formula that includes a measure of private industry employment costs, go into effect automatically unless lawmakers vote to block them.

The pay raise, which takes effect in January, would also apply to more than 1,000 top executive branch officials. The president's $400,000 annual salary is unaffected by the congressional increase.

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