U.S. Rep. Phil English, the fourth-term Republican congressman from Erie, voted last week against pay raises for members of Congress, but the House approved the proposed increase by nearly a 2-to-1 margin.

House members are scheduled to receive a 3.1 percent pay raise starting in January. The increase would be the fourth in four years and boost annual salaries of rank-and-file members of Congress to nearly $155,000.

Rank-and-file members currently make about $150,000 a year.

"At a time of real economic distress for many families in places like northwestern Pennsylvania, I think it is inappropriate for members of Congress to allow themselves to take a substantial pay increase," English said.

"Congress should be working on homeland security, pushing pro-growth economic policies, and protecting investors from corporate crooks, not padding their own paychecks," English added.

House members approved the pay raise, 224 votes to 118.

Only one member spoke against the raises, The Associated Press reported. U.S. Rep. James Matheson, a Democrat from Utah, said with the country "swimming in red ink," the raises were ill-timed, the AP said.

House Majority Leader Dick Armey, a Republican from Texas, defended the congressional pay raise and said it is smaller than the cost-of-living increases government workers receive. "I don't know why anybody in America would say, 'Mr. Big Shot, get yourself elected to Congress and then be stupid enough to deny yourself the pay and benefits that your job warrants," Armey said.

English has voted against pay raises every year since taking office in 1995.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.