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Castor Likely Would Vote To Rescind House Pay Increase

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By CHIP OSOWSKI | News Channel 8

Published: January 5, 2009

TAMPA - Two Republican Bay area members of the U.S. House have said they would support giving up their annual, automatic, $4,700 pay raise this year because of the country's struggling economy.

Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor of Tampa said today she probably would support a vote to take back the pay raise, which went into effect Thursday.

"Well, the pay raise already went into effect, I think if it came to a vote on the floor to take it back, ... I would probably do so," she said from her Tampa office on Bayshore Boulevard.

The raise boosts the average House lawmaker's salary 2.8 percent to $174,000.

A spokesman for GOP Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor told The Tampa Tribune recently that he supports blocking the raise.

And GOP Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville has supported eliminating the automatic pay raises in the past.

Contacted today by telephone, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office had no comment on scheduling a vote after Congress convenes.

Tribune reporter Billy House contributed to this story.

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