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:
They don’t work long enough
Congress deserves nothing except to be replaced..cant do your job
If you all would work and do what you were voted in to do that would be a different story!
Don’t think so.
174K per year plus other benefits,They are suppose to be working for the people but yet they are making on average 3-4 times what the average American makes. They are hardly working not to mentionearning what the
Congress needs to go on Ovomit care.
They don’t do the job they are paid for now, a cut in wages to 20 dollars an hour is fitting, since they only work 2 weeks out of a year
Exactly
You go mean a pay cut
I want a raise,too I haven’t had one in 8 years!!