Congressional Pay Raise in Spending Bill Sparks Heated Exchange Between Senator and CNN Reporter

Sen. Dick Durbin defends the proposed lawmaker pay raise in a 1,500-page spending bill while deflecting criticism during a tense interview with CNN's Manu Raju.

A massive 1,500-page stopgap spending bill includes a provision for Congress's first pay raise since 2009, raising questions about its timing and necessity.
Sen. Dick Durbin, the Senate's second-highest-ranking Democrat, admitted he was unaware of the pay raise provision despite his leadership position.
During a hallway interview, CNN reporter Manu Raju pressed Durbin on whether lawmakers had earned the raise, citing public dissatisfaction with Congress's performance.
Durbin deflected criticism by comparing congressional pay to media salaries, prompting a sharp retort from Raju that journalists are not paid with taxpayer money.
The spending bill, aimed at preventing a government shutdown, extends funding into March 2025 and has drawn criticism from Republicans for lacking significant budget cuts.