Three senators slam Congress on legislating for “personal gain”

Santo Domingo.- Three of Dominican Republic’s most prominent senators Tuesday night called the amendments submitted to the bill Government Wage Regulatory Bill unconstitutional, and predicted its rejection.

The ruling PLD party lawmakers rebuke the amendment that excludes the Members of Congress, the Central Bank and other agencies from the proposed salary caps.

Senators Tommy Galan-San Cristobal, Euclides Sanchez- La Vega and Jose Rafael Vargas-Espaillat, separately agreed that the lawmakers shouldn’t legislate for personal gain

Galan called the deputies’ amendment "imprudent because if we’re regulating the wages of all government administration sectors we can’t exclude ourselves to our benefit. That’s inappropriate."

Sanchez said with their attitude the deputies didn’t take into account the harm they cause to their image and to the Congress. “With this action we’re telling the country that we’re more concerned with our personal benefit than the majorities we legislate for.”

Vargas said by excluding Congress from the Salary Regulation, the legislators relinquish the authority to ask any sacrifice from the population whose result could benefit the majorities.