permanently abolish automatic pay raises for members of congress.

Congressional members currently receive an automatic cost of living pay raise each year, unless they vote to bring it up and stop it. This almost never happens; and most years, both houses of congress allow the raise to go through with little to no fanfare. Other government employees, on the other hand, are dependent on Congress to decide if they deserve a raise, and usually get very little, if any at all. To show the American people that they truly understand our plight, and are willing to stand with us in the economic crisis we are facing, eliminate this annual raise, and tie future increases to those of the rest of government employees.