**Viral News Snippet**
Viral News Snippet
HEADLINE: FACT CHECK: Did Thom Tillis Vote to Give Himself a $40,000 Raise While Blocking Disaster Relief?
Rumor: Social media posts are circulating wildly this morning claiming that Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) secretly voted to give himself and other senators a $40,000 annual pay raise while simultaneously blocking a $2 billion disaster relief bill for Hurricane Helene victims in western North Carolina.
Rating: 🚨 FAKE / MISLEADING
The Facts:
- The Raise: There is no record of Senator Tillis voting on any standalone bill to increase his own salary. Congressional pay adjustments are typically tied to annual appropriations bills or cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) under a 1989 law. The last time senators received a base pay increase was in 2009. The $40,000 figure is fabricated. Recent pay adjustments for federal workers (including COLA for Senators in 2024) were automatic and not a direct vote by Tillis.
- The Disaster Relief: Tillis has actually co-sponsored and voted for multiple disaster relief packages for North Carolina, including the $2 billion in supplemental funding requested by Governor Cooper. The claim he “blocked” it is false. In fact, Tillis publicly criticized a handful of GOP colleagues for holding up an earlier version of the disaster aid package over unrelated border security amendments.
- The Meme Source: The viral image appears to be an altered screenshot from a 2018 C-SPAN clip, with text overlaying a false dollar amount.
Verdict: FAKE. There is zero credible evidence Senator Tillis voted on a self-raise or blocked Helene relief. Check sources before sharing.