FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2012
Contact: Tom Guild, Democratic Nominee for Congress in Oklahoma’s Fifth District
Phone: 405-921-3811 or Email: TomGuild@sbcglobal.net
Web: www.guildforcongress.com
Special Rights and Privileges for Do Nothing Congress?
Tom Guild Supports Cutting Congressional Pay for Playing Hooky and Missing Work!
According to the records on the United States House of Representatives official website, from January 2 through June 15, 2012 the House should have been in session, if they had met every day Monday through Friday, for 121 days. That would include 22 days in January, February and March; 21 days in April; 23 days in May; and 11 days in the first half of June. Congress was in session during that nearly six month period of time for only 76 of those days or only 62.81% of the time. That includes 12 days in January, 17 in February, 17 in March, 9 in April, 14 in May and 7 in June. The House was in session only 42.86% of the time in April 2012. American workers couldn’t keep their jobs with that type of high absenteeism.
American taxpayers are paying members of the U.S. House a base pay of $174,000, along with generous benefits, which may be unavailable to most Americans.
“We are not getting our money’s worth as taxpayers. If Congress were paid a percentage of their current salaries based on the days they have worked (been in session) so far in 2012, they should have their base pay reduced to $109,289.40. Since some of those days were not full working days while in session, each member of Congress should have their base pay reduced to $100,000. No other Americans in the private or public sector have the luxury of working less than 63% of the time and still receive 100% of their compensation,” said Guild.
Guild added, “It is outrageous that members of the U.S. House are playing hooky and working less than a full day’s work for a full day’s pay. We should adjust pay for members of Congress accordingly. We should immediately begin discussions and take action to reduce the base salary of a member of the U.S. House to $100,000, which more accurately reflects the ‘work’ that they do.”
Concluded Guild, “this puts a whole new perspective on the moniker ‘do-nothing Congress’. Fire Congress! Fire Lankford! Vote Like Your Life Depends on It…It Does.”
Guild is currently running as the Democratic Party Nominee for the congressional seat in the Fifth District of Oklahoma. For more information about Tom and his campaign, visit www.guildforcongress.com
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