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.”

  • ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Let’s just build a big congressional dorm with furnished studio apartments and make them all live there when Congress is in session. It would save the government a fortune in cost of living reimbursements and security costs.

    • Dukeofdummies@kbin.social
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      10 months ago

      You know genuinely I don’t understand why this isn’t a thing. It’s expensive to have two homes, especially when you aren’t even sure you’ll have the job for more than four years. It would lower the cost of entry into politics for people who do work minimum wage.

      Shoving someone into a land full of surprise expenses seems like a perfect recipe for corruption.

      • Wrench@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        It would lower the cost of entry into politics for people who do work minimum wage.

        It sounds like you understand perfectly well. Politics is for rich people to get more power, and get richer by granting favors to their friends. “Public servant” is the lie they tell to make us feel good about it.

        Yes, I know that there are the few modest politicians, but it’s the exception to the rule.

    • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Congressional barracks or even a neighborhood would actually be a great idea. It could get its own metro line.

      Like it’s a job with a lot of time there. I think it’s fair that they be able to comfortably live there with their spouses and other loved ones, but it would be good to keep housing centralized to them. I’m reminded of Air Force neighborhoods where I grew up. Sometimes your aimless walk would get you a conversation with someone holding a machine gun because there are medium security off base residences

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      I remember an election or two ago a story about a freshman congressman having to sleep on a cot in his office because he couldn’t afford DC rent.

    • root_beer@midwest.social
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      10 months ago

      There would be the added perk of people not wanting to remain congress critters for more than a couple of terms unless they really care about the job

      • frezik@midwest.social
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        10 months ago

        A bunch of them sleep in their office already. Worst kept secret in Washington. Dorms would be an upgrade.

      • ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        I was also thinking the extremely wealthy wouldn’t want to tolerate living without the luxury they are used to.

    • frezik@midwest.social
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      10 months ago

      Many members of Congress already sleep in their office (which is technically against building codes). Dorms would be an improvement.

    • Neato@ttrpg.network
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      10 months ago

      Great idea. And we have so much unused real estate the government owns in DC if they didn’t force people to return to the office.