Sec. Of State Salary Lowered To Pave Way For Clinton

Congress has lowered the salary of the secretary of state by about $4,700 to pave the way for Hillary Clinton to take the job.

(CBS)

As we reported last week, an obscure Constitutional clause known as the "Emoluments Clause" says that if the salary of a civil position increases while a Congressperson is in office, the Congressperson cannot legally take that position.

In the past, Congress has circumvented the clause by passing a resolution lowering the salary of the office the Congressperson sought to assume, a maneuver known as the "Saxbe Fix."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's salary was increased to $191,300 during Clinton's term, which would make Clinton ineligible for the job. But in the latest deployment of the Saxbe Fix, Congress reduced the salary for the position to $186,600, which is what it was when Clinton began her second term in the Senate.

Brian Montopoli

Brian Montopoli is the national reporter and political analyst for CBSNews.com.

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