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Washington, D.C., Jan 7 -

Today, Representative Bill Foster (IL-14) donated the automatic, annual Congressional cost of living adjustment (COLA) – a pay raise – to a local charity in the 14th District. 

“Though the vote to automatically raise the COLA was taken before I was elected to Congress, the annual COLA still affects my salary.  I am proud to contribute this money to the Northern Illinois Food Bank,” said Foster.

The $4,700 contribution Foster is making to the Northern Illinois Food Bank will provide 75,200 portions of protein to families receiving assistance from the Food Bank.

“We are greatly appreciative of this contribution from Congressman Foster. It will help us meet the rising need for food assistance in the 14th District which is caused by more and more new families having to visit one of our food pantry partners for help during these difficult economic times,” said Dennis Smith, Executive Director of the Northern Illinois Food Bank.  “Congressman Foster has visited our facilities, has seen how we receive and distribute protein, and has a deep understanding of the work we do to help our communities.”

In addition to donating the pay increase to charity, Foster has co-sponsored legislation to prevent the COLA from going into effect for Members of Congress in 2010.  In 1989, Congress passed a law that provides lawmakers with an automatic pay raise every January unless they vote specifically to reject the raise. 

H.R. 156 would block the anticipated 2010 pay raise for Members.  According to The Hill, one of the newspapers covering Capitol Hill, this legislation would save taxpayers $2.5 million.

“The money funding these automatic salary increases could be put to better use, and I strongly support the effort to prevent future pay increases for lawmakers.  By doing so, more money would be available to fund solutions to the problems Illinoisans face,” said Foster.

H.R. 156 has been endorsed by reform-oriented, conservative organizations like the National Taxpayers Union, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, Taxpayers for Common Sense and The Senior Citizens League.