NOTE: For information about salary and retirement benefits of federal employees, including members of Congress and the President and his Cabinet, visit http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/pensionFARQ.html, provided by the Internet Public Library.

Source: Senate Historical Office and Senate Disbursing Office; Paul Dwyer, Salaries of Members of Congress, Report No. 95-898GOV, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, December 11, 1995. Information for 2002: http://usgovinfo.miningco.com/library/weekly/aa031200a.htm. A Congressional Research Service Report on congressional salaries is located at http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RL30014.pdf. See also http://www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/payandperqs.htm

Senate Historical Office - January 1996

(1) House and Senate majority and minority leaders received the same as other members until October 1, 1965. Prior to 1969, the president pro tempore was compensated at the same rate as other senators, except when there was no vice president. On those occasions, he was paid at the vice president's rate. On October 1, 1969, his salary was tied to that of the majority and minority leaders.

(2) Senators received $7.00 per diem during the Fourth Congress, December 7, 1795 - March 3, 1797.

(3) Effective January 3, 1983, House members salary rate increased to $69,800 per year. The rate for senators increased to the House rate on July 1, 1983.

(4) In November 1989, the Senate and House approved a pay raise and ethics bill setting different salaries and regulations on honoraria for the two bodies. For House members, it provided a 7.9 percent pay increase in February 1990 and a 25 percent raise a year later to $120,750. A House ban on receiving honoraria took effect in 1991 at the same time as the 25 percent pay hike.

In its November 1989 vote, the Senate adopted a 9.7 percent increase (to $98,400) to take effect on February 1, 1990, and turned down the 25 percent raise in 1991. Instead, it permitted senators to receive some honoraria, although reducing the amount somewhat, from $35,800 to $26,568 in 1990. In 1991 both houses received a 3.6-percent cost-of-living increase.

(5) In July 1991, the Senate voted to raise senators salaries to $125,100 the same level as the House and adopted a ban on honoraria.

(6) This increase resulted from an automatic cost-of-living adjustment under a provision of the 1989 salary law.

(7) In March 1993 the Senate and House voted not to accept the 2.1 percent increase scheduled to take effect in January 1994.

(8) In June 1994 both houses voted not to accept the 2.6 percent increase scheduled to take effect in January 1995.

(9) In November 1995 both houses voted not to accept the 2.3 percent increase scheduled to take effect in January 1996.

(10) Effective January 1998, House members and Senators received a 2.3 percent cost of living increase.

(11) On July 18, 1999, House members voted themselves a 3.4 percent cost of living increase to take effect on January 1, 2000 as reported by Roll Call, 7/19/99.