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.”
deleted by creator
i think theres also an argument about revisiting these requirements for homes in multiple jurisdictions. its 2024, we need to stop pretending everyone needs to be in the same room to accomplish nothing.
how about, when youre in washington here is the hotel you use. welcome to public service.
We know from the Clarence Thomas issues that some of them will never be satisfied with how much they legitimately make, and turn to more questionable income sources. Tying a raise to explicit ethics standards is key: clearly assuming they will do what’s right was too naive
This is the argument I came to make. I mean, my idea is about as likely as a fairytale, but generally congress people should make more money and they should also be banned from buying stocks and have significant oversight on ethical considerations. Oh and also donations should be capped and banned entirely from corporations, but like I said, I’m just dreaming honestly.