After taking the global economy hostage to secure painful cuts to aid programs and other federal spending, House Republicans are proposing a pay raise for themselves and other members of Congress for the coming fiscal year.
Roll Callreported Thursday that under spending legislation approved by the Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee last month, members of Congress “would stand to receive a 4.6%, or $8,000, pay increase” in 2024. Most members of Congress currently make an annual salary of $174,000, putting them in the top 10% of U.S. earners.
“Lawmakers last received a cost-of-living increase in 2009,” the outlet noted, “but House Republicans left out the traditional language blocking a cost-of-living increase for members from this year’s Legislative Branch bill.”
Pulling themselves up by our bootstraps.
But we do provide them enough to be comfortable. They get six figs and I think a bunch of comps, so they’re doing pretty well.
I do agree that they need to be comfortable, but their income shouldn’t rely on whatever the previous Congress decided to pass, it should rely on how well the average person is doing. So I think we should tie Congressional salaries to the median household income. If the median household income goes up, their income should go up, which would hopefully encourage them to pass laws that benefit the poor and middle class instead of the wealthy.
I make about what a congress critter makes and live in the DC suburbs in a transitioning neighborhood in a house slightly below median value (probably about 500k). It is comfortable but tight with a kid and wife who makes 57k - less than our nanny but thankfully we only pay half of her salary. We save for retirement but nothing for her college until she’s out of daycare. I can’t imagine doing all that, AND trying to have a second home, even in a cheap district, and going to functions and charity events and needing to pay for a sitter plus weekend care. Plus a congressperson isn’t going to live in a cheap area like we do, or plan on public school, and private is even more than childcare in the area. With all the incidentals I’d have to do speaking gigs just to make ends meet, and that leads to close relationships with industry groups, aka lobbyists, and whoops there I am in exactly the same situation we find most lawmakers in.
Look, common dreams is a rag, so everyone should always take anything from it with a barrel of salt. And like often, in this case, it is dead wrong - congress should make significantly more money. Not passing legislation to help poor people is a separate issue, and somehow relating them is actually the opposite of the real relationship. Not helping the poor is exactly the type of thing independently wealthy congress critters do because they don’t know what it’s like to struggle. They don’t need the salary in the first place.