Congress to defer its 2010 pay raise. What about 2009?

Congress to defer its 2010 pay raise WASHINGTON — The No. 2 Democrat in the House says Capitol Hill lawmakers are going to give up the automatic pay raise they’re due next year. Maryland Democrat Steny Hoyer says it would be inappropriate for Congress to take its annual cost-of-living pay hike in 2010 while the economy is in such bad shape and so many people are losing their jobs. But lawmakers are going ahead and pocketing the $5,000 salary hike they got at the beginning of this year to raise their salaries to $174,000. — Associated Press