Dem lawmaker, CNN spar over who is more incompetent
A top Democrat lawmaker and a CNN reporter traded barbs on Wednesday over whether the media or Congress is more incompetent.
The reporter approached Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) about an omnibus spending bill released Tuesday evening. The 1,574-page continuing resolution (CR), which was scrapped on Wednesday after strong resistance from Republicans, would have given lawmakers their first pay raise since 2009. It would have increased the base legislator salary of $174,000 by 3.8%, coming out to an additional $6,600 for lawmakers and higher sums for congressional leaders.
The proposal has sparked outrage – including among certain legislators — that politicians would receive a pay increase while their constituents are struggling and the country wallows in a $36 trillion debt sinkhole.
In a rare instance of journalism by the legacy press, CNN’s Manu Raju challenged Sen. Durbin, the Senate’s second-ranking Democrat, while he was speaking to reporters.
“People look at the performance of Congress, saying, ‘Why should we give them more money?’” asked Raju.
“What about the media?” Durbin retorted. “Think about that for a second.”
“We’re not paid by public money,” Raju pointed out.
“I know you’re not, but half of your listeners are not there anymore. You're still getting the same paycheck? What's going on?”
Raju again reminded Durbin that CNN reporters are not paid in taxpayer dollars.
Bipartisan resistance to a pay raise
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), one of the main opponents of the bill, told the press that lawmakers do not deserve a raise.
“It is difficult to go to the American people and explain why we’ve earned the right to even have that conversation when we’re failing,” Roy said on Wednesday. “I think the American people might be like, all right, maybe pay raises make some sense, if you stop the day trading, if you do your job. How about you pass a balanced budget? How about you stop spending more money we don’t have? How about you secure the border in the United States? And then, how about you not be day trading? And then talk to me about pay,” Roy added.
Even some Democrat lawmakers have opposed the pay increase.
“Congress should be working to raise Americans’ wages and lower their health care costs, not sneaking new member perks into must-pass legislation behind closed doors,” said Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) in a press release. “If members can’t get by on our already generous salaries and benefits, they should find another line of work. As long as these provisions are in the CR, I will vote against it.”
What else was in the bill?
The pay increase was not the only contentious provision in the CR. The bill would have also renewed funding for the Global Engagement Center, one of the government’s key censorship bureaus, which expires on December 23rd. It also included funding for a crackdown on recycling fraud, driver’s licenses for juvenile delinquents, a “sheep marketing grant program,” and $3 million for testing the inspection of molasses.
House Speaker Mike Johnson withdrew the bill after significant backlash, particularly from President-elect Donald Trump and his government efficiency czar Elon Musk.
“Your elected representatives have heard you and now the terrible bill is dead,” crowed Musk on X Wednesday night. “The voice of the people has triumphed! VOX POPULI VOX DEI [the voice of the people is the voice of G-d].”
Speaker Johnson will need to present a bill more palatable to Republican lawmakers to avoid a government shutdown.
