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Congress: Rank-and-File Members' Salary The current salary (2008) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $169,300 per year.
Congress: Leadership Members' Salary (110th Congress)
Leaders of the House and Senate are paid a higher salary than rank-and-file members. Senate Leadership Majority Leader - $188,100 Minority Leader - $188,100 House Leadership
Speaker of the House - $217,400
Majority Leader - $188,100
Minority Leader - $188,100
A cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes to not accept it.
Are they worth it? That's pretty subjective, however, I'm sure that part of the aim of this post is to portray the $169,000 rank and file member salary as extravagant. When you consider the fact that members not only need to maintain a residence (pay a mortgage, property taxes, bills, etc...) in their home district as well as Washington, the salary quickly deflates. On Capitol Hill a million bucks will get you a "nice fixer upper." DC property taxes aren't cheap either. Now to be fair, some of these folks are independently wealthy, but of the 435 there aren't as many millionaires as you might think. The Senate, on the other hand, has a lot more in terms of percentages.
A good Chief of Staff will make $450,000 and up. The salaries of Senators and Congresspersons are basically well below what it costs to be one, not to mention being well below what the level of their responsibility would command anywhere else. Those folks who don't have some sort of personal funds to back them up while they are here can have a hard time on the financial end of things...
I don't think anyone gets into politics for the pay. It is for the power, influence and to sate their own ego. Of course, some take money under the table to augment their income.
Though, I guess I shouldn't be so jaded. There truly are some in office that are trying to do the right thing. It just feels like they are in the minority.
Congress: Rank-and-File Members' Salary The current salary (2008) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $169,300 per year.
Congress: Leadership Members' Salary (110th Congress)
Leaders of the House and Senate are paid a higher salary than rank-and-file members. Senate Leadership Majority Leader - $188,100 Minority Leader - $188,100 House Leadership
Speaker of the House - $217,400
Majority Leader - $188,100
Minority Leader - $188,100
A cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes to not accept it.
Sure ... let's increase their pay by $70K or more, so they will need to pay an additional 30K in taxes!
That would teach them!
They'll be so pissed at having to figure out a way to spend that extra 40K of take-home pay!
Ha ha.
I think they need about 50,000 and they need to pay to put the gas in their own tanks. I think I read something that tax payers pay for them to drive around in gas guzzlers. They should be required to drive the most fuel efficient vehicle out there unless they are footing the bill for the gas.
over half of congresspeople become lobbyists for coporate interests when they lose or retire thier seats. It's not how much they make, if you think they are living off 169K/year you're gullible. they have plenty of other means to make money other than their salary in DC. being in congress is just a springboard to other things.
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