Obama Gives Biden, Congress a Raise

As the nation nears the fiscal cliff, President Barack Obama has ended the pay freeze on federal employees — giving workers, ranging from Vice President Joe Biden to members of Congress and the Supreme Court, a raise.

Obama signed the executive order on Thursday, The Weekly Standard reports. The increases take effect in late March. “The pay raise will generally be about 1/2 of 1 percent," the order says.

Citing recessionary factors and budgetary concerns, Obama instituted the pay freeze in 2010.

Under the new guidelines, for instance, Biden’s salary will jump from $225,521 last year to $231,900 next year.

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Members of Congress, from the House and Senate, also will receive a slight raise — from $174,000 to 174,900.

And the majority and minority leaders in both chambers will see their salaries rise to $194.400. 

The salary for the Speaker of the House, currently the Ohio Republican John Boehner, will increase to $224,600.

In addition, the pay for the members of the U.S. Supreme Court also will rise, with Chief Justice John Roberts receiving $223,500, and associate justices being paid $213,900.

Circuit judges, district judges and those of the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York also will see slightly higher pay, The Standard reports.
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