Define it as a criminal fraud when lawmakers cut pay/benefits to others if they've voted themselves a pay raise.

Our forefathers designed a system of checks and balances to prevent the government from abusing it's power and authority.
That system is clearly broken when leaders who can vote themselves increased pay and benefits do so, after voting to revoke/reduce pay and benefits for things like Veteran services, public assistance, etc.
What we the people should do, is to declare it an act of criminal moral turpitude to abuse their power for personal financial benefit.