Gluesenkamp Perez Statement on Upcoming Continuing Resolution Vote, Inclusion of Pay Raise for Members of Congress

Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) released the following statement on her opposition to a pay raise currently included in the stopgap funding measure proposed by Republican leadership:

“When Americans feel the pressure of rising prices, from cough syrup to home ownership, Congress should prioritize the people we represent, not ourselves. Any way you slice it, Congress giving itself a pay raise right now is bananas.

Instead of increasing the pay of Members of Congress, this bill should have included priorities for folks in Southwest Washington. It failed to extend critical support for rural schools suffering from declining timber revenue that are considering cutting down to four-day school weeks, or language to improve permitting reform to build more critical infrastructure.

Folks in my community want affordable and durable goods, healthy families, and fair pay. But Congress hasn’t passed a balanced budget on time in more than 20 years – and self-serving efforts like these are in part why trust in government is near historic lows. 

Members of Congress make more than 90 percent of Americans – and I don’t know of hardworking people in Southwest Washington who would look at $174,000 and say that it isn’t enough to get by on. We need a body of lawmakers who actually know the price of a gallon or milk or gas, just like my neighbors and family. 

I am asking leaders on both sides to remove this provision and put a Continuing Resolution on the Floor that keeps the government open without a pay raise for Members of Congress.”

Members of Congress receive an annual salary of $174,000 – and this legislation would allow for a 3.8 percent, $6,600 increase to Member of Congress pay in 2025. Under the Continuing Resolution, salaries could rise to more than four times the per capita income in Southwest Washington.

Earlier this year, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez joined her bipartisan colleagues to successfully block a pay raise in FY24 appropriations legislation. In June, she called on her bipartisan colleagues to block a pay raise in FY25 appropriations legislation. 

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez has led bipartisan legislation to deter government shutdowns from happening in the first place and ensure lawmakers face mounting, daily costs of any needless shutdown. She cosponsored the Pay Our Troops Act and Pay Our Border Patrol and Customs Agents Act to ensure service members and border patrol agents are paid in the event of a government shutdown.