Members of Congress are set to receive their first pay raise in 15 years if a newly proposed 1,574-page spending bill, known as the Continuing Resolution (CR), is passed by both chambers of Congress and signed into law by Joe Biden.

The bill, introduced by House leaders on Tuesday, includes language for a cost of living adjustment (COLA), granting lawmakers a salary increase starting in 2025.

Currently, rank-and-file members of Congress earn $174,000 annually, while those in leadership positions receive higher salaries.

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If approved, the COLA provision will allow lawmakers to receive a maximum salary increase of $6,600 due to a 3.8% adjustment in 2025, according to Maine Democratic Representative Jared Golden.

Golden publicly opposed the inclusion of the pay raise in the bill and announced he would vote against the CR unless the provision is removed.

“Congress should be working to raise Americans’ wages and lower their health care costs, not sneaking new member perks into must-pass legislation behind closed doors,” Golden stated in a press release. “If members can’t get by on our already generous salaries and benefits, they should find another line of work. As long as these provisions are in the CR, I will vote against it.”

Golden emphasized that he would continue to oppose the bill until the pay freeze is reinstated. His opposition has been echoed by other lawmakers, including Republican Arizona Representative Eli Crane and Republican Indiana Representative Victoria Spartz.

“So Congress is failing the American people AGAIN and giving themselves a raise in the process?” Crane wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Can’t make this stuff up. I will be voting NO.”

So Congress is failing the American people AGAIN and giving themselves a raise in the process?

Can’t make this stuff up.

I will be voting NO. https://t.co/qKB5SQyTPk

— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) December 18, 2024

Spartz, in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation, criticized the pay raise, stating, “Seems hypocritical to increase salaries for ‘sausage making.’ I understand if we would be governing.”

Republican Texas Representative Chip Roy also voiced his disapproval, questioning whether lawmakers had earned the right to discuss pay raises amid Congress’s inability to pass a balanced budget, curb spending, or secure the border. “It is difficult to go to the American people and explain why we’ve earned the right to even have that conversation [on pay raises] when we’re failing,” Roy said in a press conference.

He added, “How about you pass a balanced budget? How about you secure the border in the United States? And then, talk to me about pay.”

Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois responded to the proposed raise during an interview with CNN on Wednesday. “It’s good news,” Durbin remarked when asked if he supported the pay increase.

He admitted, however, that he was unaware of the provision’s inclusion in the CR.

The CR not only addresses congressional pay but also temporarily extends government funding through March 14, 2025, to avert a government shutdown.

Critics of the bill, including conservative lawmakers, have labeled it the “Christmas Cramnibus” due to its extensive policy riders and significant spending levels.

With only a few days to review the massive legislation, lawmakers will face pressure to act quickly before the Friday night shutdown deadline.

Some advocates of the pay raise argue it is necessary to address the high cost of living in Washington, D.C., and the broader impact of inflation.

Inflation under the Biden-Harris administration has risen over 20% since 2021, largely driven by increased costs for shelter and food.

However, opponents argue that Congress’s record on addressing inflation and other economic challenges does not justify additional compensation.

The CR has sparked widespread debate over government spending and accountability, with lawmakers from both parties questioning the process behind the inclusion of the pay raise provision and other controversial measures in the bill.