Rep. Bishop Voted for Salary Freeze

Rep. Tim Bishop voted Tuesday to freeze his salary for a second consecutive year. The legislation which passed the House of Representatives will block the annual cost-of-living adjustment for the salaries of Members of Congress in 2011 – saving taxpayers about a million dollars.

"I'm not going to vote to give myself a raise at the same time so many families I represent are hurting," Bishop said in a statement. "But I will work harder than ever to make sure that we get people back to work and strengthen the recovery which is starting to take hold."

The Senate passed identical legislation denying the automatic $1,600 pay raise last week, according to Bishop's office.

Bishop noted that the vote in the House on Tuesday occurred as the President's 18-member, bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform met for the first time.

"We need bipartisan leadership to reduce the deficit, and this pay freeze sets the correct tone as our nation grapples with the difficult choices we face in preserving the American Dream for future generations," Bishop said. "As we emerge from the recession and our economy recovers, now is the time to make the right choices for continued economic growth and prosperity."