Steve King Likes Pay Raises for Himself

Rekha Basu at the Des Moines Register wrote about Steve King voting against spending that would help struggling Americans, yet voted to give himself a pay raise.

Congressman Steve King doesn't like the government to spend money. Or so he says.

He voted against the economic recovery plan, calling it "a monstrosity" and "more wasteful special-interest spending." He voted against the auto-industry bailout and against extending health insurance to 4 million children.

He opposed loan guarantees to help homeowners struggling to ward off foreclosure, and legislation to lessen America's dependence on foreign oil and promote renewable-energy sources.

He voted against disaster relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The list goes on.

In many of these votes, King has been alone among the Iowa congressional delegation, Republican or Democrat. "Our economy will not recover because people spend more," he has said. "It will recover because people produce more."

Yet there is one area of government savings King did not support: a freeze on his own pay.

Last week, he broke ranks with other Iowans in Congress and all but 23 members of the U.S. House of Representatives to vote against freezing their own 2010 salaries. The pay-freeze amendment, part of a bill to allow a vote on the omnibus appropriations measure, passed 398 to 24.

I would like to know what Rep. King has against middle class Americans and hurricane victims?