They Voted For...Themselves?

U.S. Reps. Nick Rahall, D-3rd, and Alan Mollohan, D-1st, both voted to increase Congressional pay by about $4,400, to nearly $170,000 annually, according to The Associated Press.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, voted against the necessarily procedural question in the 244-181 roll call.

As AP reports, "Democrats and Republicans alike killed a bid by Reps. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, and Lee Terry, R-Neb., to get a direct vote to block the (cost of living allowance) _ , which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it. "

AP also reports that the annual increase stalled the previous two years, partly because of partisan squabbling and partly because "Democrats last year fulfilled a campaign promise to deny themselves a pay hike until Congress raised the minimum wage. Delays in the minimum wage bill cost every lawmaker about $3,100 this year."