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:
NO, THEY DON’T
Absolutely Not!!!!! YOU SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE ON WHAT THE AVERAGE MAN LIVES ON FOR 1 YEAR including housing. Maybe then you’d appreciate how lucky you are to have the salary you have. You have no right to give yourself a raise. Put it to a vote of the people and see what you get.
NO
Not even on a good day. Do your job first
No raises
They put time there I wouldn’t call it work about 156 days a year we need term limits and they have guts to want a raise what have they done
Those sonsabitchs dont earn what they are paid now fkm
no
You deserve to have a pay cut especially for the amount of time you actually work.
Nope.