Dem Rep Complains That Members Of Congress Are 'Underpaid'

OK, I just had to start this thread only because, this Congressman is complaining they don't make enough money.

YES. It's True,,, Pick Yourself Up Off The Floor,,, Wipe the Buggers and Slime off your computer screen, That's his Hard Luck Story and he's Sticking To It!
Why,,,, Because some of them can't afford to keep two Luxury homes, one in D.C. and the other in their home state.
Poor Baby,,,, some of you are on the verge of foreclosure or jobless and he may have to live in a less than Spacious Apartment!

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) thinks members of Congress aren't paid enough.

“I think the American people should know that the members of Congress are underpaid,” Moran said. “I understand that it’s widely felt that they underperform, but the fact is that this is the board of directors for the largest economic entity in the world.”

Rank-and-file members of Congress are paid $174,000 annually. However, Moran says, it's just not enough, as members often have to maintain two residences: one in their home district and one in Washington, D.C.

"A lot of members can’t even afford to live decently in Washington," he said, noting that some of his colleagues sleep in their offices or rent "tiny" apartments to save money.

I think someone needs to take your Head Out Of Obama's @ss Long Enough For You To See The Current Condition Of The Average American Citizen,,,,, is that asking to much?

Moran plans to propose an amendment to the bill providing a per diem allowance for members to cover their housing costs. Although he acknowledges his amendment is highly unlikely to pass, he says he wants to publicly highlight the issue.

"You won't get a lot of votes," Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said of Moran's proposal. "But you'll make a lot of friends."

Congress Underpaid

Maybe you should follow obamas advice he gave some people last month if they could afford to sign up for Obamacare, you know, that healthcare plan you're Exempt From!

This is a few days old, but it’s amusing nonetheless. Barack Obama appeared in a town hall for Spanish-language media on March 6th to discuss ObamaCare and promote enrollments, and got challenged by a viewer on the economics of it for low-income Americans who are now forced to buy comprehensive health insurance. On a $36,000 annual income, the requirement to buy the broad policy rather than something a little more economical — say, hospitalization coverage combined with an HSA, a strategy which is now all but illegal — makes it impossible to comply. Pshaw, Obama replied. Why, all those low-income folks need to do is stop spending money on luxuries like cable television and cell phones!

Just cancel Cable & Phones
Maybe you could cut back, or better yet all of you that think you're not paid enough,,, how about you just Quit and go home, we don't need you that badly. I'm sure there's someone out there that's do your job better for Half your pay just for you and your families health benefits!!!

reply to post by guohua


build a barracks in DC.

if those that are in the military can survive it, so can congress.

I'll just go ahead and admit my ignorance of the US congress pay structure here but is the figure $174,000.00 the bottom line for these guys? Can they not get kickback behind the scenes for voting this and that? I always thought they made those kind of "Tips" Am I wrong?

"Dem Rep Complains That Members Of Congress Are 'Underpaid'"

Well he's actually right !!!

They ARE underpaid.

paid "Under-the-Table"

minkmouse
I'll just go ahead and admit my ignorance of the US congress pay structure here but is the figure $174,000.00 the bottom line for these guys? Can they not get kickback behind the scenes for voting this and that? I always thought they made those kind of "Tips" Am I wrong?

One Word, Lobbyist.
Specking engagements.

they are too lazy to even read the bills they pass, much less write any of them



reply to post by guohua

I'll just go ahead and admit my ignorance of the US congress pay structure here but is the figure $174,000.00 the bottom line for these guys? - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by minkmouse


Considering that the median income in the US is 44k, I'd say 174k is some pretty good scratch. But as we all know they go into congress rich and come out very wealthy and well connected.

With a 6% approval rating they shouldn't get paid at all. Can you imagine a merit based pay scale for Congress/ I don't know about you MinkMouse...but I'd vote for that.

How's the kitty doing BTW?

reply to post by guohua


I needed a good laugh, that's just perfect ROFL. I didn't think anything that stupid and conniving could exist. I am proved wrong!

Cheers - Dave

reply to post by deadcalm


I'd vote for that too and kitty is doing awesome

From reading the OP, I'm disgusted.

Do what I do for 60hrs a wk then you can complain about being underpaid!

... Don't members of congress get free healthcare? even if not, they are still better off than most.

I'm sure they think they're worth more. Their approval rating says otherwise.

Along those same lines, newsflash and maybe a prediction, but I've been hearing rumblings of them wanting to EXTEND their term limits, when in fact only the opposite should happen as greed and corruption get more entrenched in them the longer they stay.

They should get less money, not more. Congress was never meant to be anyone's profession or sole means of support and DC not a permanent residence.

These people are flat out ridiculous in their view of themselves and their own perceived value. Fire them all. Now.

“I think the American people should know that the members of Congress are underpaid,” - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by guohua


I'm pretty sure this is going to fall on deaf ears. They're not paid enough? $174,000 salary plus office expenses and benefits? It can't be too bad when many members of congress have made it a career and have occupied their offices for over 20 years. This is exactly why there should be term limits for members of congress. Nobody is preventing him from quitting his job!

Ungrateful and self-centered politicians. They spend our tax dollars like water because to them it's free money.

reply to post by guohua


This belongs on "The Onion", I seriously expected it to be.

reply to post by guohua


All politicians are grossly overpaid, everyone knows it except them.

I just wanted to add something I forgot to say. I responded to this thread in a non-partisan way, as I do to most threads, even though it did say Dem in the title. The reality is it doesn't matter who said it. They all think it. Their MOs might be slightly different on some topics, usually and mostly very insignificant ones that are in reality none of government's business and don't really matter at all but are just oh-so effective at stirring and distracting the masses they want to govern over and not for, but there is fundamentally absolutely no difference among them as a whole.

One slight example of this is the dem and the rep who were on a segment I caught a week or so ago. Doesn't matter who they were or what show they were on...that would just be diversion to the discussion and the point. So they bickered where they were "supposed" to, like good little party players, but lo and behold, they became the best of pals in unity and all but salivated their agreement about their belief that term limits should be expanded (what I mentioned earlier).

Couldn't be more blatant. And they're probably all like this behind closed doors, all being wined and dined and insider stock tipped to riches while living their cushy lives on our dime, a dime that I think most can agree on would be better spent giving a hungry kid a sandwich than giving it to them.

We know how they are. And every once it a while we get a glimpse of this when someone slips. And it's sickening.

AthlonSavage
reply to post by guohua

 

All politicians are grossly overpaid, everyone knows it except them.

That's right and they have lot's of benefits. Not just Great starting Salary's.

The speaker of the House is the most highly compensated member of Congress with an annual income of $223,500. The Senate president pro tempore as well as the majority and minority leaders in both the House and Senate all earn $193,400

Members of Congress are expected to focus most of their time on their legislative duties, but they are allowed to earn an outside income equal to 15 percent of the annual base pay for Level II executives in the federal government. Those executives currently have a base pay rate of $179,700, meaning senators and representatives can earn no more than $26,955 in outside pay each year.

Tax benefits. According to the Congressional Research Service, an agency that prepares reports for Congress, senators and representatives can deduct on their income tax form up to $3,000 per year of their living expenses while out of their districts.
Health and life insurance. Members of Congress are entitled to purchase health insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program and life insurance through the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program.

link

Nice Digs: A seat in Congress comes with office space -- lots of it. Not only do members move into an office on Capitol Hill, they maintain space in their home districts and states too. For senators, this benefit has a pretty high cap - up to 8,200 square feet. The CRS report said there is "no restriction" on the number of offices they can open in federal buildings in their home states. Plus senators get to shop at the equivalent of Congress' IKEA -- furniture supplied through the Architect of the Capitol. Every senator gets $40,000 -- and potentially more -- for furniture in their home-state offices.

Down Time: Perhaps there's no such thing as down time for a member of Congress, what with the constant shuttling back and forth between Washington and their districts, media appearances and constituent meetings. But the work week lately has been relatively sparse. The Senate has averaged about three working days on Capitol Hill - three-and-a-half if you count Monday nights. Plus there are several breaks, which Congress calls "work periods," penciled in the calendar throughout the year. This year, members of Congress returned to their districts for a Presidents Day break, a spring break, a Memorial Day break, an Independence Day break and a summer break. Congress is about to adjourn again until early November so members can campaign. Of course, that's good old-fashioned time off for senators not up for re-election this year.

Some of their Benefits

as the argument against an employee disagreeing with min wage or healthcare policies.....They don't have to be politicians......they can go get a job that pays their bills.

If they are so flicking "underpaid" how come they are all millionaires just a few years after taking a seat in that august body?
I can't think right now where I saw the report recently, but it showed that something like 97% of them report on their financial disclosure forms that they are worth millions.

We need a bill passed stating that If the congress or senate votes to raise their own wages, federal minimum must be raised by the same percentage. That will make them think twice and actually put some thought into it. And to be clear, I am not for raising minimum wage at the federal level. However if our elected officials cannot scrape by on 6 figure salaries, I don't know how anyone else is getting by.

Oooh! Oooh! I got it! Maybe they are not prioritizing their bills. They should cancel their cable and cellphones and then see if they have enough money.

-d

reply to post by guohua


And yet these guys think that the enlisted of the US Armed forces get paid too much at 28k a year?

And people wonder why I truly hate politicians.

These a-holes serve two years and get 100% pensions.

I have to bust my ass for 20 years to get 80 percent. 30 years for 90.

Who the hell do these people think they are?