Senator Ken Salazar

Sen. David Vitter opposes pay raise for Interior Secretary Ken Salazar

Sen. David Vitter , R-La., as part of his campaign to pressure the Interior Department to issue more deepwater permits, wrote Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last month saying that, "Given the completely unsatisfactory pace of your department's issuance of new deepwater exploratory permits in the Gulf, I cannot possibly give my assent" to legislation that would grant Salazar a nearly $20,000 raise, until the pace of permitting equals pre-moratorium levels.

Last week, the longtime Vitter critics at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington asked the Senate Select Committee on Ethics to investigate whether, with that letter, Vitter was guilty of bribery. "Whether it is a defense contractor buying French furniture for a congressman in exchange for earmarks, or a senator who ties a department secretary's pay raise to approving permits, bribery is bribery," CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan said.

Vitter spokesman Luke Bolar countered that "CREW has a clear track record of filing frivolous, political attack complaints, but that certainly won't deter Sen. Vitter from using every tool available to reopen the Gulf and defend Louisiana jobs. If CREW thinks this is bribery, then it should file complaints against their buddy (Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid for buying votes with the Louisiana Purchase and Cornhusker Kickback."

The Louisiana Purchase and the Cornhusker Kickback refer to provisions included in the Senate version of last year's health care legislation intended to bring additional Medicaid monies to Louisiana and Nebraska. The Louisiana money made it into the final legislation, but the Nebraska provision did not.

Bruce Alpert can be reached at balpert@timespicayune.com or 202.857.5131. Jonathan Tilove can be reached at jtilove@timespicayune.com or 202.857.5125.

A $20,000 pay raise? I thought Obama froze all federal employee salaries for two years? How does this bozo merit a $20,000 pay raise? He was in charge when the BP accident to start and they want to give him a pay raise?

Don't tell me he's not a federal employee. He didn't get elected. He got appointed, by Obama.

Who da hell wants to give this dimwit a raise?

My sentiments exactly! And yes I am a Federal Employee, and no I'm not overpaid, I'm actually working middle class. So when the media talks about the big fat salaries the Feds get... It's the ones like this clown, not the average worker bees! But our cost of living raises are frozen, they want us to contribute more to our health care costs, and more toward retirement costs. Basically, they are trying to hit us with a 6% pay decrease. This day and age, that is the difference between staying in your home or being foreclosed on, or tuition for a decent school for the kids!

Sen. David Vitter opposes pay raise for Interior Secretary Ken ...

Sen. David Vitter , R-La., as part of his campaign to pressure the Interior Department to issue more deepwater permits, wrote Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last month saying that, "Given the completely unsatisfactory pace of your department's issuance of new deepwater exploratory permits in the Gulf, I cannot possibly give my assent" to legislation that would grant Salazar a nearly $20,000 raise, until the pace of permitting equals pre-moratorium levels.

Last week, the longtime Vitter critics at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington asked the Senate Select Committee on Ethics to investigate whether, with that letter, Vitter was guilty of bribery. "Whether it is a defense contractor buying French furniture for a congressman in exchange for earmarks, or a senator who ties a department secretary's pay raise to approving permits, bribery is bribery," CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan said.

Vitter spokesman Luke Bolar countered that "CREW has a clear track record of filing frivolous, political attack complaints, but that certainly won't deter Sen. Vitter from using every tool available to reopen the Gulf and defend Louisiana jobs. If CREW thinks this is bribery, then it should file complaints against their buddy (Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid for buying votes with the Louisiana Purchase and Cornhusker Kickback."

The Louisiana Purchase and the Cornhusker Kickback refer to provisions included in the Senate version of last year's health care legislation intended to bring additional Medicaid monies to Louisiana and Nebraska. The Louisiana money made it into the final legislation, but the Nebraska provision did not.

Bruce Alpert can be reached at balpert@timespicayune.com or 202.857.5131. Jonathan Tilove can be reached at jtilove@timespicayune.com or 202.857.5125.

A $20,000 pay raise? I thought Obama froze all federal employee salaries for two years? How does this bozo merit a $20,000 pay raise? He was in charge when the BP accident to start and they want to give him a pay raise?

Don't tell me he's not a federal employee. He didn't get elected. He got appointed, by Obama.

Who da hell wants to give this dimwit a raise?

My sentiments exactly! And yes I am a Federal Employee, and no I'm not overpaid, I'm actually working middle class. So when the media talks about the big fat salaries the Feds get... It's the ones like this clown, not the average worker bees! But our cost of living raises are frozen, they want us to contribute more to our health care costs, and more toward retirement costs. Basically, they are trying to hit us with a 6% pay decrease. This day and age, that is the difference between staying in your home or being foreclosed on, or tuition for a decent school for the kids!

Legislative presentation of the American Legion : hearing

Hearing on construction and lease authorization needs of the Department of Veterans Affairs

Allred & Johnson Nominations: Congressional Hearing

Congressional Record, V. 152, Pt. 17, November 9, 2006 to December 6, 2006

Pending benefitsrelated legislation : hearing before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Ninth Congress, first session, June 23, 2005.