He's not alone: AOC and others have argued lawmakers should be paid more in order to protect against corruption and make the job more accessible.

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.”

  • @A_Random_IdiotEnglish
    36•6 months ago

    They’d still accept bribes if they were paid 5 million a day.

    Its not about the money.

    its about the position, and power.

    • @Quadhammer
      13•6 months ago

      This. They need to be forcibly stopped through legislation

      • @[email protected]English
        7•6 months ago

        And enforcement of legislation - can’t get caught fucking around if the legislation is not enforced or enforceable.

      • @A_Random_IdiotEnglish
        4•6 months ago

        Because they are so good about obeying laws as is.

    • @itsnotits
      1•6 months ago
      • It’s* not about the money.
      • It’s* about the position, and power.