Jason Chaffetz thinks federal lawmakers need a massive monthly stipend added to their $174,000 annual salary in order to cover housing. Unsurprisingly, he’s making this call just days before he exits Congress.
The timing is no accident. Politicians tend to speak with more honesty when they’re lame ducks — and they honestly believe that they deserve more money.
Part of the desire for more cash is ego, but part of it makes a bit of sense. Being a member of Congress is expensive, considering that members are expected to live in the state the represent while they work in Washington D.C. This requires either two mortgages or a rental or two just to work. It’s not uncommon to hear about many representatives sleeping in their offices to avoid the added expense their job requires.
But that doesn’t alleviate the fact that Americans are in no mood to hear them ask for more money when they already make so much — particularly while their approval ratings are so low and so many Americans are trying desperately to find good paying work.
Jason Chaffetz is on the way out, though, so he doesn’t mind the optics.
See how much more money he thinks his fellow lawmakers need on the next page:
Congress needs a pay CUT! They do nothing except go against the needs of the American people!
They should have dorms They aren’t there enough for a home. They get so much more than a salary.
They need a deduction they are doingxthere jobs
They are OVERPAID WHORES ALREADY, HE’LL NO THEY DO NOT DESERVE ANY KIND OF A RAISE, THEY HAVEN’T DONE$#%&!@*TO EARN IT. MONEY AND POWER ARE ALL THESE SUCK$#%&!@*POLITICIANS KNOW, SCEW THEM.
Time for the pitch fork and torches.
Vote on line! Less deals
Amen
You knew that when you took the job!! But you gave us $3.00 a month raise and took it back for medicare, first one in a long time!! My yearly income is about 14,000. Yours is closer to what??
No
no raise you have not earned it. your raise should be tied to the deficit only when you bring the deficit back down to zero and you have a government balanced budget then you can talk about a raise.