Members of the House and Senate have not had a pay raise in more than a decade, in part because of the bad press that follows when lawmakers decide to give themselves more money. In past years, members who are on the way out have been much more comfortable raising the issue, and Perlmutter has three distinct proposals for raising salaries for members who will return next year.
However, even though he proposed the legislation, it appears unlikely that any of them will be considered this year. Democrats in the House and Senate are still working on several last-minute bills this year, including a defense policy bill, overall federal funding levels, possible tax extensions and more.
There has been no public talk about raising member pay, and one House leadership aide told Fox News Digital they were unaware of any effort to pass language on this issue in December.