As Congress passed massive stimulus bills to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, rumors circulated claiming legislators gave themselves pay raises in the legislation. These claims are FALSE. Neither the $2 trillion CARES Act nor subsequent coronavirus stimulus bills contained provisions to increase congressional salaries.
The confusion seems to stem from funding allotted for House “salaries and expenses” in the CARES Act, which was actually intended for congressional operations and adapting to remote work during the pandemic. Here are the facts on lawmaker pay in the COVID-19 stimulus packages
Background on Congressional Salaries
Members of Congress receive an annual salary of $174,000, with higher rates for party leaders. Salaries have been frozen at this level since 2009.
Under a 1989 law, congressional pay is supposed to be automatically adjusted each year based on changes in private sector wages However, Congress has voted to reject these cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) every year since 2010.
Due to the pandemic, House leaders also turned down the scheduled 2021 pay increase of $4,600.
Rumors of Raises in the CARES Act
In March 2020, Congress passed a $2 trillion stimulus bill called the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. This massive relief package included stimulus checks, expanded unemployment aid, small business loans, and much more.
Around the same time, false rumors spread on social media that Congress “voted themselves a raise” in the CARES Act. Viral Facebook posts claimed lawmakers awarded themselves bonuses of $25 million or $8,000 per month.
In reality, there was NO provision in the CARES Act to increase congressional pay. But where did these rumors come from?
Salaries vs. Expenses in the CARES Act
Buried in the lengthy CARES Act text was a section appropriating $25 million for the “salaries and expenses” of the House of Representatives.
This money was intended to help the House adapt its operations for the pandemic by funding things like more IT equipment and expanded video conferencing capabilities.
But some social media posts conflated the “salaries and expenses” language to falsely claim Congress was giving itself a pay boost.
In fact, House committee staff confirmed the $25 million was NOT for member salaries, which come from the Treasury. The Constitution prohibits Congress from changing its pay during a current session.
No Raises in Other Stimulus Bills Either
Since the CARES Act, Congress has passed additional COVID relief bills including:
- The $900 billion Consolidated Appropriations Act in December 2020
- The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021
- The $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022
None of these stimulus packages contained any provisions to increase congressional pay.
Salaries have remained frozen at the 2009 levels – $174,000 for rank-and-file members and $223,500 for the Speaker of the House.
Why the Confusion Over Congressional Pay?
There are a few reasons false rumors about congressional raises spread online:
- The size and complexity of the stimulus bills led to misinterpretations.
- General distrust of Congress and politicians fueled beliefs they would benefit themselves.
- Lack of easily accessible public information on lawmaker salaries.
- Social media users spreading claims without researching first.
Regardless, all evidence confirms members of Congress did NOT receive raises in any COVID-19 stimulus legislation. The claims of $25 million bonuses or $8,000 monthly pay hikes are verifiably FALSE.
While these bills appropriated billions for public health and economic recovery programs, lawmaker pay remained unaffected.
Congressional Oversight of Spending
To ensure proper oversight on spending, the CARES Act included measures like:
- Requiring regular Treasury reports to Congress on lending programs.
- Establishing a Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery.
- Creating a Pandemic Response Accountability Committee to prevent fraud and abuse.
- Empowering the Government Accountability Office to audit COVID-19 relief spending.
This oversight was intended to guard against wasteful use of taxpayer funds by federal agencies, businesses, or other recipients of aid. Monitoring did not focus on Congress itself.
Should Lawmakers Receive a Pay Raise?
Some advocates argue Congress is overdue for a pay raise. Supporters say:
- $174,000 isn’t an exorbitant salary considering the importance of the job.
- The pay freeze has contributed to high turnover and wealthy candidates dominating politics.
- Cost-of-living adjustments should be reinstated to keep pace with private sector wages.
However, raises remain politically unpopular with the public. Most Americans say lawmaker pay is already high enough.
The rumor that Congress used COVID relief bills to secretly reward themselves shows the controversy higher salaries would generate.
Bottom Line
No, there were absolutely no congressional pay raises tucked into the $4+ trillion worth of COVID stimulus legislation.
Lawmakers never miss an opportunity for oversight of other branches of government. But they deliberately keep their own salaries out of spending bills, knowing how toxic the perception of self-dealing would be.
While higher pay for Congress can be justified, no hike has occurred in over a decade – despite false rumors to the contrary. In the virus relief packages, the focus was on aiding the public rather than politicians.
Congressional pay/salaries: 14
Stimulus bills: 8
CARES Act: 5
House of Representatives: 3
COVID-19: 4
Pandemic: 3
COLAs: 2
American Rescue Plan: 1
Inflation Reduction Act: 1
Speaker of the House: 1
Fact Check: Congress Did NOT Give Itself A Pay Raise In The Pandemic Relief/Stimulus Bill
Will members of Congress get a pay raise from the stimulus?
(AP) No version of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act grants pay raises for members of Congress. The House and Senate are slated to receive $35 million from the stimulus. The money will go toward offsetting the costs of maintaining congressional law enforcement and child care staff, as well as improving teleworking capabilities.
Did Congress give itself a pay raise this year?
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Congress did not give itself a pay raise this year. THE FACTS: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed by President Donald Trump in late March awarded $1,200 stimulus checks to most Americans.
Is the Congressional pay raise on page 134 of the stimulus?
A March 25 post is even more specific, claiming the congressional pay raise is on page 134 of the stimulus. The posts were flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) Collectively, they’ve been shared more than 140,000 times.
Does Congress want $25 million for raises?
“Congress wants $25 million for raises. That’s $46,700 each,” the text post reads. “Now who’s thinking of you.” Another post, published March 20, asserts that the House of Representatives voted to award its members an extra $8,000 per month instead of giving aid to senior citizens.
What does the stimulus bill entail?
The stimulus legislation also includes billions of dollars for housing assistance and food stamp benefits. It creates a $25 billion program for bars and restaurants that have been forced to close amid the pandemic. The legislation also includes $350 billion to help state and local governments weather their own budget woes.
How much do members of Congress get paid a year?
A majority of senators and House members are paid an annual salary of $174,000, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service, The claim that members of Congress gave themselves a pay raise in the pandemic relief package and government spending bill is FALSE based on our research.