February 11, 2009: Congressman Wittman Lauds Decision to Freeze Congressional Payraise

"I applaud House Leadership for finally listening to the American people. I do not believe that a congressional pay raise of any amount is appropriate at a time when our nation is at war and our federal budget deficit is rising," said Wittman.

"I believe that our nation's leaders have a duty to set a patriotic and responsible example, in my mind, increasing our own salaries when our military service personnel are still faced with a pay gap and American families are tightening their budgets is emphatically not part of that example," said Wittman.

Wittman has been calling for the freeze for months and is a cosponsor H.R. 156 introduced by Rep. Harry Mitchell of Arizona. The legislation would eliminate automatic pay increases for Members of Congress. Under the terms of a 1989 law, members of Congress automatically receive an annual cost-of-living pay increase unless they act to stop it. The annual increases are based on a formula calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which takes into consideration changes in private industry wages and salaries.