Rank-and-file members of both the House and Senate are paid $174,000 a year.
That probably seems like a decent amount of money, and it is: The median household income in 2022 was $74,580, according to the US Census.
But consider that members of Congress generally have to maintain two residences — one in Washington, DC, and one in their home state — and that they haven’t gotten a raise since 2009.
Inflation, meanwhile, has eaten away at the value of that salary over time: If lawmakers’ salaries had kept pace with inflation, they would be paid over $250,000 today.
Rep. Patrick McHenry, a North Carolina Republican who served as the interim speaker of the House following Kevin McCarthy’s ouster, told The Dispatch that congressional pay needed to be raised in order to attract “credible people to run for office.”
If they’re struggling, then maybe they should pick up a second job, maybe cancel some of those subscription services?
Stop buying Starbucks and avocado toast
Hell, maybe even pull themselves up by their bootstraps?
In all seriousness, if you can’t live off a $175k salary in a country where the most expensive state requires you to make like $110k a year alone to live comfortably, that’s a you problem.
I have no love for our politicians, at all, but that’s somewhat misrepresentative of the situation.
They’re not spending their money only in one state. They usually have to maintain multiple residences, one in their home state and another in the notoriously expensive DC metro area. DC cost of living eats a significant chunk of that value, I’m sure
TIL something new - I did not realize they have to have homes in both their home state and in DC. Actually, I’m kind of surprised that’s how it worked, and it’s shitty if the government doesn’t provide them COLA or something if they have to have two homes.
‘Most of us don’t have wealth’
Welcome to the fucking club.
This is why only rich people that don’t give a shit about normal people end up in Congress. Regular people can’t afford to be in Congress.
Oh shucks a government job that doesn’t pay very well.
If only they understood the irony
Maybe they should skip their avocado toast or drink less Starbucks?
Something something bootstraps
If you can’t live on 170k a year, you probably shouldn’t be making decisions for those on 30k.
If inflation has eaten away at your 6 figure salary that hasn’t been updated since 2009 imagine how the plebs making $7.25/hr feel.
@MicroWave @steinbring We should not increase their pay. Instead we should simply provide housing connected with public transit so members of Congress can cut some of their costs and actually experience what it is like to live this way. They already get great healthcare and access to a fitness center and cafeteria.
Most of us don’t have wealth
Reality disagrees. While over half of Congress are millionaires, the highest credible number for the US population in general is 12%
In fact, the 100 highest earners in Congress more than doubled (https://ballotpedia.org/Personal_Gain_Index_(U.S._Congress) their personal wealth in a single year, with the top 10 “earners” increasing their wealth on average 422% in a single year!
Isn’t a fair bit of that graft and/or insider trading?
Yeah. After all, bribes are legal in Washington as long as you don’t say out loud what they’re for. And insider trading is hardly contained, politicians who have no prior experience with stocks suddenly consistently outperforming the market.
There’s even a Nancy Pelosi stock tracker for you to profit (less than her since she doesn’t have to announce in real time) on the insider trading of her and her husband!
In Washington, the corruption is not just overlooked, it’s written into the rules and demanded by party leaders 🤬
Hey, everyone: he just said 12% of the United States population are millionaires. More than one out of every 10 people. Think about that.
Guess how net worth looks for the bottom 88%.
Wealth disparity in this country is insane.
Hey, everyone: he just said 12% of the United States population are millionaires. More than one out of every 10 people. Think about that.
First, that’s the absolute highest estimate of anyone halfway credible.
Second, that includes real estate holdings. If you own a house anywhere even halfway desirable but don’t have a penny to your name otherwise, you’re usually still a millionaire.
Guess how net worth looks for the bottom 88%.
Absolutely 3rd world country atrocious. For some of the top 12% too, once you take their house out of the equation and only count the wealth they can spend without becoming homeless.
Wealth disparity in this country is insane.
Definitely. Anyone who says otherwise is either an idiot, part of the problem, or both.
Tie their pay to a multiplier of the minimum wage.
And don’t give them the authority to change the multiplier number.
It’s almost like being a public servant isn’t intended to make you wealthy. $174k per Congressperson is more than double the average household income, so they can make it work.
Maybe they should have thought of that at some point in the last 44 years instead of destroying the socioeconomic mobility of the lower- and middle-class in the country. Now the leopard is eating their face, too, and it’s extremely appropriate.
