FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 22, 2010

Isakson Praises Senate Passage of Legislation to Block Automatic Salary Increase for Members of Congress
‘I Can’t Think of Anyone Less Deserving of a Pay Raise in This Economy’

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today praised the Senate’s passage of legislation that would prohibit members of Congress from receiving a cost-of-living pay increase in 2011.

“Our economy is still recovering from one of the worst recessions in our nation’s history, and Congress continues to spend money at an alarming and unsustainable rate,” Isakson said. “I can’t think of anyone less deserving of a pay raise in this economy. Congress needs to take immediate steps to stop out-of-control federal spending. It is an obligation that those of us in Washington owe to future generations of Americans.”

Isakson joined a majority of his colleagues in voting to block the annual pay increase for fiscal year 2010. Isakson also has voted for a bill to repeal automatic pay raises altogether, which passed the Senate in 2009. That bill is pending in the House of Representatives. Additionally, Isakson donates the automatic pay increase he and all members of Congress received for fiscal year 2009 by writing a check each month to the Atlanta Community Food Bank equal to the amount of his pay raise.

Isakson has a long history of being a good steward of the taxpayers’ money. For example, since he was elected to Congress in 1999, Isakson has returned over $2.2 million of his annual Congressional office budget allotment to the Treasury. Additionally, for fiscal year 2009, Isakson will return an estimated $460,000 of his Senate office budget allotment once final expenses have been completed.

###