Dem senator clashes with CNN reporter over Congress pay raise: Your paycheck is the same despite low ratings

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., locked horns with a CNN reporter on Wednesday after he learned the “good news” that lawmakers would potentially be getting a pay raise.

The proposed spending bill in Congress will give lawmakers their first pay raise since 2009, something which has received mix reaction across the political spectrum. 

Durbin was asked about the congressional pay raises by CNN host Manu Raju, who asked, “members are giving themselves a pay raise. Do you guys deserve a pay raise?”

“Well, that‘s news to me. It‘s good news,” Durbin responded. “You know what has it been 10 years or 14 years and no cola, no change at all? I think it‘s about time something‘s done.”

Senator Dick Durbin turned the tables on a CNN reporter when he had been asked about lawmakers on the hill potentially getting a raise.

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When asked again whether he supports the raise, Durbin continued to express surprise at the provision, “How would I not know about a pay raise?”

Raju pressed the senator, suggesting that “people look at the performance of Congress and say, ‘Why should we give them more money?'”

However, Durbin fired back at the CNN reporter, asking him how he and his colleagues in the media get paid the same when their ratings are down. 

“What about the media? Think about that for a second,” Durbin said.

“We’re not paid by public money,” Raju replied. 

“I know you’re not,” Durbin said. “But I mean, half of your listeners are not there anymore. You‘re still getting the same paycheck. What‘s going on?”

“Well, I mean, you’re taxpayer money, I mean, you guys deserve a raise?” Raju asked.

Committee chairman Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., speaks during a hearing of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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The exchange was discussed by a CNN panel where they defended their colleague Raju. 

“I thought it was so interesting this morning. Dick Durbin did not know this was in the bill when Manu was asking him about it this morning, and he was arguing that it was pleasant information for him because it had been a decade,” CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox said. 

“And he is one of those who is a normal person when it comes to his bank account,” CNN host Dana Bash added.

According to a recent Gallup poll, the news media is the “least trusted group among 10 U.S. civic and political institutions,” with the U.S. Congress only slightly behind at 34%.

Liberal news networks have indeed taken a hit since Trump won the election.

MSNBC averaged 807,000 total day viewers and CNN managed 488,000. During primetime, MSNBC averaged 1.7 million viewers from 8-11 p.m. ET and CNN settled for only 700,000.

In early December, despite the busy news cycle, CNN’s bleak audience was smaller than TNT, Food Network, Freeform, Discovery, INSP, Hallmark Mystery, TLC, TBS, History, HGTV, USA, MSNBC, Paramount, Hallmark Channel, ESPN and Fox News. 

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Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.