Democrats for a pay raise while GOP leaders tried to negotiate for one

By JAKE SHERMAN, ANNA PALMER and DANIEL LIPPMAN 06/07/2019 06:08 AM EDT

THE HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE GETS CROSSWISE WITH MCCARTHY AND SCALISE … On Tuesday, House Majority Leader STENY HOYER hosted House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY, House Minority Whip STEVE SCALISE (R-La.) and Rep. CEDRIC RICHMOND (D-La.) for a private meeting to negotiate a deal to give members a pay raise.

IT’S TYPICALLY A THORNY topic, but both McCarthy and Scalise have cautiously embraced giving lawmakers a bump in their compensation. (The salary for House members has been at $174,000 since 2009 -- which also freezes staff salary.) McCarthy told NBC in May that he is open to it, because it’s been a decade since Congress got a cost-of-living adjustment and lawmakers are leaving the job over the pay. Scalise has said “it ought to be looked at” because Congress shouldn’t be a place where only wealthy people can afford to serve.

TUESDAY’S MEETING, went well, sources told us, and the two sides were moving toward a deal.

THEN, ONE DAY AFTER THE MEETING, THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE sent an email blasting Democrats for considering a pay raise -- staking out a position in direct conflict with GOP party leaders.

-- HERE’S WHAT THE NRCC’S EMAIL SAID: “After campaigning on a slogan of ‘for the people,’ the socialist Democrats have accomplished a whole lot of nothing 6 months into their majority. And as a reward for their incompetence, they want middle-class taxpayers to give them a $4,500 pay raise! Apparently making $174,000 a year, which is more than three times the average American’s salary, just isn’t enough for these socialist elitists. Between voting for the public to finance their campaigns, opposing middle-class tax cuts and pushing to give themselves raises, the socialist Democrats’ need to change their motto to ‘for the politicians.’”

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https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2019/06/07/republicans-ripped-democrats-for-a-pay-raise-while-gop-leaders-tried-to-negotiate-for-one-444261