In this time of deep economic difficulties, you might think Congress would be thinking nothing of themselves, and would instead be totally focused on the needs of America’s working families. Sadly, you would be mistaken. In fact, their recent actions suggest the opposite.

I am deeply troubled by my congressional colleagues’ decision recently to award themselves a pay raise. As many of you may know, the House of Representatives chose to elevate member salaries by 2.2 percent, or roughly $3,300 annually. While many Americans are out of work, uninsured and struggling to provide for their families, I find this action simply unconscionable.

The vote occurred during consideration of the appropriations bill for the Departments of Transportation and Treasury, and Independent Agencies. Under the law, House and Senate members automatically receive pay raises along with other federal employees. That is, unless they overturn the rule on a procedural vote.

When that procedural vote came up, I voted against the pay raise. However, the majority of the House voted to allow the pay raise by a margin of 240-173.

This vote comes at a time when the leadership of this Congress continues to ignore the real issues facing real working people. Earlier this summer, the House leadership proposed to freeze funds for teacher training and after-school programs while seriously underfunding No Child Left Behind and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The leadership introduced a budget that called for an increase in copayments for veterans’ health care, and created a user fee of $250 for Priority 8 veterans. They offered a depleted Head Start reauthorization that will mean that almost 9,000 Maine children who are eligible for Head Start will not be served.

In the last 18 months, the United States has lost 2.9 million of the manufacturing jobs on which so many Mainers rely, and yet the Congress is determined to push ahead with the same trade policies that have cost us so many jobs. This Congress has voted to raise the debt by nearly a trillion dollars, to deny tax relief to low-income working families through the child tax credit, and to cut the Social Security Administration.

This is not the time for Congress to be patting themselves on the back with a pay raise.

I will not accept the benefit of this action, and plan to donate any increased pay I receive next year to higher education scholarship funds for Maine students. I only wish this action was unnecessary, and that Congress was more concerned with their constituents’ well-being instead of their own.

Michael H. Michaud is Maine’s 2nd District congressman.