Post Misleads on Congressional Salaries, Social Security
The prospect of Congress increasing the yearly cover for its members has faltered in recent days. A bipartisan agreement had increased the possibility of the first congressional salary growth in years, but worries about the optics have allegedly postponed that proposal.
Yet a viral article spread on Facebook and contested by a few FactCheck.org readers, erroneously claims that Congress has approved exorbitant pay raises while simultaneously denying an increase in Social Security benefits.
“Congress rejects $336 monthly growth in SS/SSDI, Approves $8,872 monthly growth for themselves,” the viral article, shared by thousands of Facebook users, reads. “TELL YOUR CONGRESSMEN to vote NO!”
First of all, doesn’t control the adjustments. We have debunked that misconception repeatedly.
Since 1975, the annual adjustment for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits, as we have composed, has been decided from the percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which can be calculated from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There’s absolutely not any adjustment when there’s not any growth in the CPI-W to the time period.
The COLA for 2019 that went into effect in January increased benefits (that comprise Social Security Disability Insurance or”SSDI”) by 2.8 percent.
Learn More: Citizenship the Census and Obama
In terms of congressional salaries, legislators have been contemplating allowing an automatic pay increase of 2.6 percent for 2020. That would mean an additional $4,500 yearly — not”$8,872 monthly” — for many members, who now earn $174,000 (congressional leaders make more). Amid dissent from several members, House Democratic leaders recently postponed a decision on whether to enable the raise to experience.
The automatic adjustment formula has been created by a 1989 law and is”based on changes in private-sector wages and salaries as measured by the Employment Cost Index,” based on the Congressional Research Service. The percentage increase can’t surpass that for”General Schedule” national employees. It goes into effect unless it is statutorily denied by Congress, which it has done since 2009.
Adjusted for inflation, the CRS notes, members’ current salaries signify a 15 percent decline in pay since the previous adjustment was implemented in January 2009.
Facts Check: Uber Fake
