Sununu Ducks Pay Raise Question At WMUR Debate
Friday October 31, 2008
Friday October 31, 2008
Cannot Justify Rewarding Himself for a Record of Failure
(Manchester, NH) – During last night's WMUR debate, Senator John Sununu could not defend voting six times to raise his Congressional salary while voting eight times against raising the minimum wage.
In the candidate question segment of the debate, former Governor and current candidate for US Senate Jeanne Shaheen asked Sununu why he voted six times to raise his own pay and voted eight times against the minimum wage. Sununu fudged his answer on the minimum wage and refused to explain why he believes his record of voting 90 percent of the time with George Bush warrants a pay raise.
"John Sununu's helped bring us record deficits, a $10 trillion dollar debt, skyrocketing health care costs and the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, so it's not surprising he can't justify rewarding himself for a record of failure," said Kate Bedingfield, Shaheen for Senate communications director. "It's time for a new direction in Washington and that means we need new leadership who will always put New Hampshire's hard-working families first."
John Sununu has consistently supported raising his own pay while at the same time opposing raising it for hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans trying to survive on the minimum wage. In New Hampshire, 20,000 workers benefit from a minimum wage increased to $7.25 but Sununu thinks that raising his own pay is more important. Since entering Congress, he has seen his salary go up by nearly 27% while the minimum wage has gone up only once and he did everything possible to stop it. Senator John Sununu would rather see his own pay go up than see his hardworking constituents get help making ends meet.
Over 20,000 New Hampshire workers benefit from an increase in the minimum wage to $7.25. [Children's Defense Fund, http://www.childrensdefense.
Sununu Has Voted Eight Times Against Raising the Minimum Wage Since 2000. [Senate Vote #23, 1/24/07; Senate Vote #179, 6/21/06; Senate Vote #26, 3/7/05; Senate Vote #27, 3/7/05; Senate Vote #257, 10/19/05; Senate Vote #258, 10/19/05; House Vote #45 3/9/00; House Vote #43, 3/9/00]
Minimum Wage Increases
Sununu: "I Don't Support Raising the Minimum Wage." [Washington Times, 3/8/05]
Sununu: "I Do Not Support Raising the Minimum Wage." [Lowell Sun, 11/8/05]
Sununu Compared United States Using Minimum Wage to Cuba and North Korea. The Washington Times reported in March 2005 that, "The whole discussion about increasing the minimum wage disturbed Mr. Sununu because it suggests that the purpose of the federal government is to set prices and wages. 'That's not the role of the federal government,' he said. 'In fact, there are very few countries left on Earth whose central government has the job and responsibility of rewarding work in and of itself,' Mr. Sununu continued. 'And those are countries like Cuba and North Korea that decide only the federal government should be able to determine what you earn.'" [Washington Times, 3/8/05]
Expanding Minimum Wage
Sununu Voted Against Allowing More Workers to Collect the Minimum Wage and Applying it to Mariana Islands. [House Vote #44, 3/9/00]
Sununu Voted to Exempt Some Employees from Minimum Wage Laws. [House Vote #228, 6/11/98]
Congressional Pay Raise
Sununu Received 26.7% Pay Raise Since Coming to Congress. Since coming to Congress in 1996 Sununu has seen his pay rise 26.7% from $133,600 in 1997 to $169,300 in 2006. [Congress Link, accessed 3/26/08]
Sununu Voted To Give Himself A Pay Raise 6 Times. Since 1999, Sununu has voted to give himself a pay raise six times. [Senate Vote #406, 10/23/03; Senate Vote #410, 10/23/03; House Vote #322, 7/18/02; House Vote #267, 7/25/01; House Vote #419, 7/20/00; House Vote #300, 7/15/99]
2003: Sununu Voted to Raise His Salary By $3,400. [Senate Vote #406, 10/23/03; Senate Vote #410, 10/23/03]
2002: Sununu Voted to Increase Salary By $4,700. [House Vote #322, 7/18/02]
2001: Sununu Voted to Raise his Own Pay By $4,900. [House Vote #267, 7/25/01]
2000: Sununu Voted to Increase his Own Salary $3,800. [House Vote #419, 7/20/00]
1999: Sununu Voted to Increase Salary by $4,600. [House Vote #300, 7/15/99]
For more information, visit www.JeanneShaheen.org .
(Manchester, NH) – During last night's WMUR debate, Senator John Sununu could not defend voting six times to raise his Congressional salary while voting eight times against raising the minimum wage.
In the candidate question segment of the debate, former Governor and current candidate for US Senate Jeanne Shaheen asked Sununu why he voted six times to raise his own pay and voted eight times against the minimum wage. Sununu fudged his answer on the minimum wage and refused to explain why he believes his record of voting 90 percent of the time with George Bush warrants a pay raise.
"John Sununu's helped bring us record deficits, a $10 trillion dollar debt, skyrocketing health care costs and the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, so it's not surprising he can't justify rewarding himself for a record of failure," said Kate Bedingfield, Shaheen for Senate communications director. "It's time for a new direction in Washington and that means we need new leadership who will always put New Hampshire's hard-working families first."
John Sununu has consistently supported raising his own pay while at the same time opposing raising it for hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans trying to survive on the minimum wage. In New Hampshire, 20,000 workers benefit from a minimum wage increased to $7.25 but Sununu thinks that raising his own pay is more important. Since entering Congress, he has seen his salary go up by nearly 27% while the minimum wage has gone up only once and he did everything possible to stop it. Senator John Sununu would rather see his own pay go up than see his hardworking constituents get help making ends meet.
Over 20,000 New Hampshire workers benefit from an increase in the minimum wage to $7.25. [Children's Defense Fund, http://www.childrensdefense.
Sununu Has Voted Eight Times Against Raising the Minimum Wage Since 2000. [Senate Vote #23, 1/24/07; Senate Vote #179, 6/21/06; Senate Vote #26, 3/7/05; Senate Vote #27, 3/7/05; Senate Vote #257, 10/19/05; Senate Vote #258, 10/19/05; House Vote #45 3/9/00; House Vote #43, 3/9/00]
Minimum Wage Increases
Sununu: "I Don't Support Raising the Minimum Wage." [Washington Times, 3/8/05]
Sununu: "I Do Not Support Raising the Minimum Wage." [Lowell Sun, 11/8/05]
Sununu Compared United States Using Minimum Wage to Cuba and North Korea. The Washington Times reported in March 2005 that, "The whole discussion about increasing the minimum wage disturbed Mr. Sununu because it suggests that the purpose of the federal government is to set prices and wages. 'That's not the role of the federal government,' he said. 'In fact, there are very few countries left on Earth whose central government has the job and responsibility of rewarding work in and of itself,' Mr. Sununu continued. 'And those are countries like Cuba and North Korea that decide only the federal government should be able to determine what you earn.'" [Washington Times, 3/8/05]
Expanding Minimum Wage
Sununu Voted Against Allowing More Workers to Collect the Minimum Wage and Applying it to Mariana Islands. [House Vote #44, 3/9/00]
Sununu Voted to Exempt Some Employees from Minimum Wage Laws. [House Vote #228, 6/11/98]
Congressional Pay Raise
Sununu Received 26.7% Pay Raise Since Coming to Congress. Since coming to Congress in 1996 Sununu has seen his pay rise 26.7% from $133,600 in 1997 to $169,300 in 2006. [Congress Link, accessed 3/26/08]
Sununu Voted To Give Himself A Pay Raise 6 Times. Since 1999, Sununu has voted to give himself a pay raise six times. [Senate Vote #406, 10/23/03; Senate Vote #410, 10/23/03; House Vote #322, 7/18/02; House Vote #267, 7/25/01; House Vote #419, 7/20/00; House Vote #300, 7/15/99]
2003: Sununu Voted to Raise His Salary By $3,400. [Senate Vote #406, 10/23/03; Senate Vote #410, 10/23/03]
2002: Sununu Voted to Increase Salary By $4,700. [House Vote #322, 7/18/02]
2001: Sununu Voted to Raise his Own Pay By $4,900. [House Vote #267, 7/25/01]
2000: Sununu Voted to Increase his Own Salary $3,800. [House Vote #419, 7/20/00]
1999: Sununu Voted to Increase Salary by $4,600. [House Vote #300, 7/15/99]
For more information, visit www.JeanneShaheen.org .
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