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.”

  • @postmateDumbass
    2•10 months ago

    Your asking a group of the most powerful people in the nation to live in dorms.

    That would lead to even more clique behavior. Mean Girls with diplomatic immunity. Fun times.

    Im sure investment tips would never be shared or colluded around.

    And they would all be in one central location for the lobbists to come hand out bribes. Or terrorists to strike.

    As for a uniform as some suggest, i prefer the George Carlin idea of NASCAR style patches worn for each corporate donor.

    But treating congress people like children or soilders in basic training is just demonstrating a lack of proper thought on the matter.