Rep. Johnson votes to block personal pay increase

Congressman also moves to save taxpayers billions of dollars by cutting government waste:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) voted today against giving himself an automatic pay increase. In 1989, Congress approved a process that provides lawmakers with automatic pay raises unless they vote specifically to reject it.

“The American people aren’t getting raises this year and neither should we,” said Rep. Johnson. “I’m focused on putting people back to work, not making more money."

Congressman Johnson also voted today to save U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars by cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse in military procurement. The bipartisan IMPROVE Acquisition Act will reform the defense acquisition system to save American taxpayers $135 billion over the next five years and make sure that the men and women who are risking their lives to safeguard our country get the proper equipment they need to do their jobs and protect themselves on the battlefield.

“We are making sure our men and women in uniform get the equipment they need when they need it," said Rep. Johnson. "At the same time, we are eliminating wasteful and inefficient spending to save taxpayer dollars.”

A second measure, the bipartisan Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act, targets nearly $100 billion a year in improper government payments that result from poor oversight on the part of federal agencies. This legislation improves transparency in government agencies, prevents improper payments, requires agencies to recover overpayments, and holds top managers at agencies accountable for improper payments or overpayments.

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