Blunt, Skelton vote for Congressional pay increases

Seventh District Congressman Roy Blunt, R-Strafford, and Fourth District Congressman Ike Skelton, D-Lexington, were among the 392 representatives who cast votes for a bill giving House members a $3,100 annual pay increase.
The measure was apart of a Treasury spending bill. Initially, a Senate plan had called for blocking senators' and congressmen's yearly raises, but that portion of the bill was eliminated during negotiations between House and Senate members.
Ironically, but perhaps not surprisingly, the vote came on the same day that Blunt was barely able to corral enough votes (217 to 215) on spending cuts, that, according to the Washington Post, will include "new fees on Medicaid recipients, squeeze student loan programs, cut child support enforcement and push tens of thousands of low-income families off food stamps."
The post article continued, "GOP leaders hailed the tough-minded measure as proof that the party is ready to make the difficult decisions necessary to confront stubborn budget deficits."
Blunt, of course, cast a "yes" vote on the measure, while Skelton voted against it.