Should U.S. Congress be allowed to vote themselves a raise?

No, I don't think that Congress should be allowed to vote themselves or anyone else a raise. There should be a separate citizen panel made up of a random selection of people each year to determine pay scale for all government employees. That way, if we can afford it, you get a raise. If we can't you won't, and if you screw up, you lose what raise you got last year etc. It is the same premise that people in government today expect should be used to determine the salaries of the big bankers and other corporate entities. It is their rationale that if you lose money or did not do a good job, you should not be eligible to get those big bonuses etc..which is part of their salary. What is good for the goose should be good for the gander as well.

I do not think they should be allowed too, but they do. Tell you what we can do is vote them out, and yell your FIRED!