The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly voted to forgo its $3,100, or 1.9 percent, raise scheduled for 2006 in a largely symbolic gesture to avoid increasing their pay while they cut federal programs to help pay for Hurricane Katrina expenses.

"I didn't believe in that amendment," Inouye said through his spokesman, Mike Yuen.

Yuen said Inouye did not elaborate and was unavailable for comment.

Rank and file members of Congress are paid $162,100 per year. That's 14 percent, or $20,800, more than their 2000 pay rate of $141,300.

The median annual income for Hawai'i families in 2004 was $63,813, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Congressional salaries rise each year unless Congress votes to skip the raise, which it has done five times since 1989.

Inouye also did not support pay freezes in 2001, 2002 and 2003, according to vote records.

Some supporters of the freeze said Congress could not accept a pay raise while American families struggle with high energy costs.

"At a time when we're asking for spending cuts across the federal government to help offset the cost of Hurricane Katrina, it's important for the Senate to lead by example, even if the impact is mostly symbolic," said Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Arizona.

The amendment, which would save $2 million, was approved 92-6 with two senators abstaining.

Besides Inouye, Sens. Kit Bond, R-Mo.; Richard Lugar, R-Ind.; Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M.; Paul Sarbanes, D-Md.; and James Jeffords, I-Vt. voted against the measure.