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TIME: Almanac 1990s
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<text id=91TT1660>
<title>
July 29, 1991: American Notes:Washington
</title>
<history>
TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1991
July 29, 1991 The World's Sleaziest Bank
</history>
<article>
<source>Time Magazine</source>
<hdr>
NATION, Page 25
American Notes
WASHINGTON
Wealth by Stealth
</hdr><body>
<p> The network newscasts were over and deadlines for early
editions of the New York Times and Washington Post had passed.
The public galleries in the Senate chamber were deserted, and
only a couple of reporters lingered in the press room. Surveying
the emptiness last Wednesday night, Senator Robert Byrd of West
Virginia decided conditions were ideal for the Senate to hand
itself a whopping pay raise. As if by magic, 98 of the 100
Senators appeared out of the night to vote, 53 to 45, to raise
their annual salaries from $101,900 to $125,100--an increase
of nearly 23%.
</p>
<p> Their sneakiness notwithstanding, the Senators had a
strong case for a pay hike. For one thing, members of the House
of Representatives are already paid $125,100 yearly. More
important, in exchange for the raise, Senators will no longer
accept fees for speaking engagements. But the Senate, too
fearful to make those arguments in the spotlight, tried to gain
more wealth through stealth.
</p>
</body></article>
</text>