House's pay raise in doubt as GOP wavers

The bipartisan attempt to raise salaries for members of the House of Representatives is in doubt as GOP leaders are finding little support for what would be a difficult political vote, according to Republican sources.

House Democratic leaders have been preparing to move ahead with the move this week, but only if they received GOP support.

"This ought to be done in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told POLITICO on Monday night about the prospects of the proposal. "We're working on it."

House GOP leaders have begun counting votes in their caucus, but appeared short of the necessary support as of Monday night. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said last Thursday that he would back the pay raise, but he has not yet formally signed onto the idea — which Senate GOP leaders have already ruled out.

Top Democrats, led by Hoyer, were still attempting to pass legislation with the pay bump before leaving town this Thursday for a weeklong recess, despite backlash from some in their own caucus. Their own whip count among members this weekend showed largely positive support, according to multiple sources.

The 11th hour attempt to clear the bill this week comes after Democratic leaders abruptly pulled it from the floor earlier this month amid a protest from some of their own rank-and-file.

The bill — which funds the entire legislative branch — would pave the way for Congress' first cost-of-living increase in a decade.

But Democrats, including more than a dozen of the House's most vulnerable freshmen, have sought to halt the move, which they say is tone-deaf. Several have pointed out that the House might vote to raise its own pay before approving a bill to raise the federal minimum wage for the nation's lowest-income workers.

Two weeks ago, Democrats retreated from a planned vote on the bill, which is generally the least controversial of all government funding bills. Since then, Hoyer has continued to lead the push to reinstate the members' pay increase, which GOP leaders have blocked since 2009.

The Maryland Democrat has argued for decades that keeping lawmakers' pay in line with inflation helps recruit and retain diverse candidates.

The provision would also allow a pay increase for the House's top staffers, whose pay cannot, under law, exceed lawmakers' salaries.

Approving the funding measure would require quick work on the floor — Democrats are already attempting to pass two separate appropriations bills on the floor this week, including a contentious emergency spending package for the border.

And the House cannot hold late votes on Wednesday because members plan to attend the annual congressional baseball game.