Retiring House Republican says $174,000 isn't enough money for members of Congress: 'Most of us don't have wealth'
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."
To be fair, they need a house in their hometown and a house in DC. That can be extremely expensive. You want congressmen to be financially independent so that they don't need to accept bribes and such.
They'd still accept bribes if they were paid 5 million a day.
Its not about the money.
its about the position, and power.
This. They need to be forcibly stopped through legislation
And enforcement of legislation - can't get caught fucking around if the legislation is not enforced or enforceable.
Because they are so good about obeying laws as is.
They already have the position and the power. This doesn't make any sense.
They don't need a house in either. They can rent a shitty apartment like the rest of us.
Housing is clearly what I meant. You think DC has affordable apartments?
People live there so yea...
If it's really that bad build a housing project for them with the bare minimum necessities. Let them see how the people they claim to represent live.
Making only the federal minimum wage, they would not be able to afford any housing in DC. Not even the projects.
174k is quite a bit higher than the minimum wage.
My bad I mixed this thread up with the one saying they should make minimum wage lmao.
If we only had a group of people who could pass laws to make housing affordable, gosh
You got them there
DC is expensive as golden shit.
Many represenitives live in their office.
But they take them anyway.
Some do. But if you pay them almost nothing, they all will because they will have to.
Not when they retire from their job.