(Julianna Frieman, Headline USA) Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., celebrated a surprise pay raise for members of Congress hidden among the more than 1,500 pages of a federal funding bill.
Late Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson released the full text of H.R. II, which would grant lawmakers their first pay increase since 2009—at the taxpayer’s expense.
The bill, which would fund the federal government through March 14, would give members of Congress cost of living adjustments for their salaries.
CNN’s Manu Raju confronted Durbin, the second rank Senate Democrat, on the sneaky pay raise ensconced in the bill. He asked, “Members are giving themselves a pay raise. Do you guys deserve a pay raise?”
“Well, that’s news to me. That’s good news!” Durbin responded, eliciting a chuckle from the two women beside him.
Durbin bemoaned that members of Congress had not received a raise in more than a decade. The senator said, “it’s about time something’s done.”
NEW: Number 2 Senate Democrat Dick Durbin has no clue what’s in the funding bill, is pleased to find out he’s getting a pay raise.
No wonder why our country is $36T in debt.
Durbin got offended after CNN’s Manu Raju asked if lawmakers deserved a pay raise considering all the… pic.twitter.com/GeXBWyuFQQ
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 18, 2024
Raju pressed the Democrat senator on his support for the pay increase, pointing out that the “performance of Congress” may not have been satisfactory to those funding their salaries—the American people.
Growing agitated, Durbin took aim at the CNN reporter and his network’s cratering ratings.
“What about the media? Think about that for a second,” the senator said before Raju pointed out that CNN is not funded by taxpayers.
Durbin admitted he knows CNN employees are not paid by taxpayer dollars.
“I know you’re not, but half your listeners are not there anymore and you’re still getting the same paycheck? What’s going on?” Durbin asked the CNN reporter.
After the exchange, Raju reflected on Durbin’s approval for members of Congress receiving a raise. He noted that the top Democrat was not aware of the pay increase inside the bill.
“It just shows you how this was negotiated among a handful of members and they’re gonna have to vote on this. And members won’t really have the time to read it either,” Raju said.
Julianna Frieman is a freelance writer published by the Daily Caller, Headline USA, The Federalist, and The American Spectator. Follow her on Twitter at @JuliannaFrieman.
