Party leaders from both sides of the aisle met in private this week to negotiate a deal that would give lawmakers their first pay bump since 2009, but one day later, the National Republican Congressional Committee blasted Democrats alone for considering a pay raise.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., hosted a meeting Tuesday with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., and Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., to talk about a deal, reports Politico Playbook.
McCarthy and Scalise have said they're open to a pay raise that would increase lawmakers' salaries from $174,000. McCarthy in May told NBC that lawmakers are leaving because of the pay, and Congress hasn't had a cost-of-living adjustment in a decade.
Scalise, meanwhile, has said the matter should be examined to ensure that service in Congress isn't limited to rich people.
A source familiar with the meeting told Politico that McCarthy and Hoyer agreed to take care of their own committees and that neither side would attack each other.
But on Wednesday, the NRCC sent an email that slammed "socialist Democrats" for "accomplishing a whole lot of nothing 6 months into their majority" while expecting "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," the email said.
The NRCC has not responded when asked if it was aware of the McCarthy-Hoyer agreement, notes Politico.