this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2024
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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."

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[–] t3h_fool@lemmy.world 48 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Federal minimum wage in 2009: 7.25. Federal minimum wage in 2023: 7.25. Cry me a fuckin river.

[–] Whoresradish@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Maybe congresses salary should be a multiple of minimum wage so they always get increased together.

[–] n3m37h@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Try EQUAL to the minimum wage

[–] Anti_Face_Weapon@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago (2 children)

They need a house in DC and at home. Logically it should be double the minimum wage.

[–] rickyrigatoni@lemm.ee 10 points 10 months ago (1 children)

The house in DC should be provided to them as part of being in congress.

[–] Quadhammer@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Fuck that make them stay in "affordable housing"

[–] Lyrl@lemm.ee 4 points 10 months ago

Apparently a number of them live in their DC offices and shower at the Congressional gym.

[–] postmateDumbass@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Id like the people establishing the laws for the country to be paid better than a fry cook.

[–] Anti_Face_Weapon@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Yeah, twice as well. Duh

[–] n3m37h@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 months ago

Yeah and if their wage was attached to the minimum wage, whatcha think if gonna happen to that minimum wage?

[–] meliaesc@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Then only the independently wealthy would run. No matter if they scale it up or not.

[–] Fedizen@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

their housing and food in DC should be paid for imo, those are truly extra costs. The problem here is republican strategy has long been to defund congress and their offices to make them more reliant on donors.

[–] n3m37h@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 months ago

I seriously doubt it unless they can make money otherwise.