Claim about congressional ‘pay raise’ omits key information

Few issues make voters angrier than seeing taxpayer dollars used for salary increases for their political representatives. So, it’s not surprising that a recent change in how the U.S. House of Representatives pays its members’ expenses has drawn bipartisan criticism. 

Brian Tyler Cohen, a liberal commentator and podcast host, shared a screenshot of a tweet on Facebook, blaming House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, for the change. The May 3 post said McCarthy “has quietly implemented a pay raise for members (of Congress) that could be $30,000+ per person. It circumvents the Constitution by instead reimbursing their rent, utilities, & meals.”

By

Louis Jacobson

Chief Correspondent

May 11, 2023

Truth-o-meter Ruling

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• The U.S. House of Representatives changed its reimbursement rules. For the first time, lawmakers can be reimbursed for expenses related to living in Washington, D.C., similar to the way private-sector employees are reimbursed when they’re out of town on business. But the change did not affect base pay.

• House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was not solely responsible for the change. It was set in motion when Democrats controlled Congress and advanced through two committees with strong bipartisan support.

• The U.S. Constitution’s 27th Amendment bars lawmakers from passing a law to raise their own pay. But the reimbursement rules change wasn’t a law, and experts say it’s unclear whether the newly allowable reimbursements would qualify as compensation prohibited by the amendment.

Statement

House Speaker “Kevin McCarthy has quietly implemented a pay raise for members (of Congress) that could be $30,000+ per person. It circumvents the Constitution by instead reimbursing their rent, utilities, & meals.”

Context

a Facebook post

Speaker/Target

Speaker: Brian Tyler Cohen

Statement Date

May 3, 2023