Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, a freshman Democrat from Arizona, has a sure-fire way to connect with angry voters: a proposal to cut pay for members of Congress.

Kirkpatrick today announced she is introducing the Taking Responsibility for Congressional Pay Act, which would cut pay for all members by 5% beginning next January. She said it would be the first time salaries have been reduced since April 1, 1933, " in the midst of the Great Depression."

In a release, Kirkpatrick said:

Families across the country are getting by on lower wages and finding ways to cut back during the downturn, and these are the folks that pay our salaries. The federal government's budget is in much worse shape, so why shouldn't senators and representatives have to feel the same pinch?

Kirkpatrick is in a competitive race this fall, but she's in better shape than most freshmen Democrats. The Cook Political Report rates her seat as "likely" to stay Democratic, even though her district is considered "solidly Republican in presidential elections" by the Almanac of American Politics. In 2008, the voters in Arizona's 1st Congressional District went for Republican John McCain, 54% to 44%.

Kirkpatrick, like a lot of freshmen Democrats, does not always vote the party line. She voted yes for the health care bill and the economic stimulus bill, but no for the cap-and-trade bill and an additional $2 billion for Cash for Clunkers.

What do you think?

(Posted by Eugene Kiely)