Lawmakers sneak a pay raise and an exit from Obamacare into year-end spending bill

Members of Congress, who haven’t received a pay raise in 15 years, plan to boost their salaries by 6% and exempt themselves from Obamacare.

A temporary funding bill up for consideration in the GOP-led House this week stripped out what had become boilerplate language blocking a cost-of-living increase for lawmakers.

It also added a provision allowing lawmakers to opt out of Obamacare — coverage plagued with high premiums and deductibles — and instead enroll in the gold-plated Federal Employee Health Benefits program.

Rank-and-file House members and senators earn $174,000 annually, and House and Senate leaders earn $193,400, a number that hasn’t changed since 2009.

If the bill passes, they’ll get an annual pay increase of 3.8% or $6,600.

The Obamacare and pay raise provisions are spurring more criticism of the legislation, which is suffering backlash from a growing number of House Republicans and top Trump World players.

The measure would add to the deficit.

“This bill should not pass,” President-elect Donald Trump’s government efficiency adviser Elon Musk posted on X.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, may try to pass the legislation as early as Wednesday afternoon under special rules prohibiting amendments and limiting debate to an hour. Thanks to GOP opposition and a slim Republican majority, Democratic votes will be needed to pass the bill, further angering some Republicans.

Mr. Johnson is the highest-paid lawmaker in Congress and is currently earning $223,500 annually.

The over 1,500-page stopgap spending bill, or continuing resolution as it’s known on Capitol Hill, was released late Tuesday night. It includes more than $100 billion in disaster aid for people affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton, $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers and a trove of other legislative add-ons to entice lawmakers to support the package.

Mr. Johnson defended the measure during an appearance on Fox & Friends, arguing passage of the bill would “clear the decks” for the incoming Trump administration.

A stopgap bill must pass by the end of the week to avoid a partial government shutdown.