Unusual Whales

The new spending bill gives Congress their first pay raise since 2009

Unusual Whales -

House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) agreement with Democrats to prevent a government shutdown until March includes provisions that would give members of Congress their first pay raise since 2009 and allow them to opt out of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Why it matters:

These measures—particularly the pay raise—are part of efforts to make serving in Congress more accessible to individuals without independent wealth.

Driving the news:

The bill would maintain government funding at current levels until March 14 and incorporates several long-standing legislative priorities for both parties.

  • It would repeal language in an earlier stopgap spending bill that blocked an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for lawmakers.
  • Since 2009, Congress has consistently included provisions in spending bills to block the pay raise mandated by a 1989 law.
  • This marks the first potential end to that practice in over a decade, as initially reported by Bloomberg Government.

Key details:

The legislation also includes changes to health insurance rules for members of Congress:

  • It reverses a provision of the ACA that required lawmakers and their staff to get health insurance through ACA exchanges.
  • Members of Congress would now have the option to return to the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program, which is considered to offer more generous benefits than ACA plans.
  • However, congressional staffers would still be required to obtain their insurance through the ACA.