Members of Congress Are Making More Money Now Than Six Years Ago: Fair or Foul?

They should make the federal minimum wage when they start, if they get re-elected then MAYBE they should get a raise. Period.

Politicians get richer, average citizens get poorer, and soldiers get left on the street.

A corrupted model that is unlikely to change.

A newly commissioned officer in the US Military (the rank of O-1) has taken the same oath of office as an elected congressperson. The O-1 starts at base annual salary is $33,936; the rookie congressperson starts at $173,000. What is the justification for paying a congressperson, from day one, 5 times that of an O-1? Both are federal officers in positions of trust.

And... that officer is busting his/her tail non stop, and truly standing up for the American citizens... ALL Americans, not some special group.

Shame on those on Congress for taking that kind of salary and not standing up for the people.

And MANY THANKS to you and every other man and woman who has put their life on the line for Americans.

I'm truly humbled and thank you for your support.

You deserve it and I wish you the very very best New Year! :)

there is NO justification for something so vile. We citizens need to start putting our foot down and demanding that federal employees who are elected into office get pay that they actually earn, which would me much closer to the $33,936 mark. CO's in the military should start at closer to $50,000. Our soldiers should be given the salary increases once it is taken away from these thieves in office

We have demanded it over and over. But since they are the ones in power it is not doing us any good.

i've been saying that since I was old enough to care about politics LOL

If only I could trust our Reps to refrain from running to become millionaires and actually represent the interests of their constituents. Do the best job for the people and the future of our nation...then move on!

PUTRID!

further proof that money runs the country....only the rich or those willing to sell themselves need apply for legislative positions because it takes so much money to run

Especially considering the quality of their output.

we need to put limits on these terms. this would explain why they don't give a $hit about anyone beneath them. they don't even feel the crunch of this horrible economy because they're swimming in cash. maybe they would sympathize if they had to go out and get expensive health insurance and make the average salary. when life is over for them i hope they like it where it's hot, burn baby burn.

someones net worth has nothing to do with how much they earn as a Congressman. Many of the representatives and Senators had successful businesses before they ran for public office
I think the Senate and House pay is a little high, but that has nothing to do with net worth

http://www.sodahead.com/unite...
This comment states that a rookie congressman starts at $173,000 that is WAY too high, considering the median income of this country. Representatives and senators don't even work the whole year, they should be hourly. getting paid for only the time they actually work. They shouldn't START OUT at over $100,000/year. No wonder our government is over run with greed

I agree they are overpaid, but the question was about net worth. That is a wholly different question

but don't they get net worth from being in that position?

Some probably do, but many of them start out with a lot of money. Many had successful businesses before they became congressmen, and that is where most of their net worth came from.
I may be wrong, but I believe most people who run for office are actually honest and want to do what is best for the country. Once they get in office, all the lobbyists throwing money at them and all the power and gifts given them, they become corrupt.
I think the real problem with the government isn't the Congress or the Presidency, it's lobbyists buying these people for their own cause.

I agree with you there! Corruption is the root of all evil

Agreed!

There is nothing wrong with making a few bucks but when you steal as most are trading inside information and most are War Mongers.
That is why I am voting for Ron Paul because I am mad as hell, R u?

They deserve less than the original Congress received! This happens when the people elected can vote themselves raises. The people should be setting their salaries and their raises and their perks of office.

Term limits, at least that could be a start.

If anyone thinks the members of Congress, who make outrageous salarys and have the best medical plans, never worry about mortgage payments, childrens college costs can relate to the average American, your head must be burried in the ground. What reason, but to protect themselves, would they have to make our lives better? They are all out of touch, Dems and Repubs. What ever happened to raises based on performance? With such a low confidence rating, they should be paying the American public back.

ABSOFREAKINLUTELY!!!!!!!!!! THEY HAVE TURNED INTO A GROUP OF SELF AND CONTRIBUTOR MOTIVATED PIGS!!! everything they do is me,me,me,me! another big thing you forgot that they ABSOLUTELY DONT DESERVE IS THEIR ABSURD PENSIONS!!! they should have to go back [after their term limit] to their private sector job or what ever they want to do BUT FUND THEIR OWN RETIREMENT NOT THE TAXPAYERS FUNDING IT! its bad enough we cant get them out once their in and once again prove their word and promises arent worth the paper their written on and stab us in the back, BUT WE DEFINITELY SHOULDNT BE PAYING FOR THEM TO RETIRE AND GET GOV. BACKED HAELTHCARE OFF OF US!. and until we protest in the millions on the house demanding an end to the one sided campign process[ unlimited contributions from corp. america,unions,wall street,banks,big oil,special interests,etc in exchange for laws,policy,bills in their favor] term limits, and an end to public employee pension system paid for by the taxpayers! they should be like the private sector 401k etc with the chance of losing everything like so many did when wallstreet,the gov,banks screwed everyone. OUR GOVERNMENT IS NOT OURS ANYMORE! ITS ACTUALLY WORSE THEN THE MAFIA! at least you can pay them back BUT our gov.mafia can never get enough and keeps changing the terms! and like the mafia they protect their own! proof? where are all the court arrests and jail sentences for all those that were involved in the fraud and corruption that destroyed this country??

It proves something is deeply wrong in Our Nation's Congress!

Almost all of them are crooks and toadies and don't deserve even 1/10th of what they walk off with.

Just give average Americans the congress and senate's health care plan and all will be forgiven by me.

Another reason to hate the politicians

Foul, these Congressmen don't even earn half of what they bestow on themselves. Their salaries need to be cut in half, just to save some of our Government spending. They deprived our senior Citizens of the Cost of Living annual increases for several years, yet gave themselves nice big raises. They aren't looking out for their constituents, they are looking our for themselves. They have us working for them, not the other way around. Let's all demand that their salery increases be subject to a vote of the people they represent. I'm with Gov. Perry with his idas on this issue. Congress is at the publc trough, the trough that they condemn some of our citizens of abusing. Let's vote them out in 2012.

I don't like anything else about him, but Perry's plan to make them into working class people isn't the worst idea in the world.

no is not, but do you think for a minute that those thugs will let him do that? no, that is just a dream
it will never happen.

I don't like him either.

I never said it would happen.

The Democrats took control o congress in 2006, so what does that tell you. If Congress got paid according to their effectiveness, they wouldn't be paid at all.

Never been filled with envy or greed - I do not care how much anyone makes.

I don't think it's about envy and greed from the public, it's about representing the "people" who put you in office. If, as a politician, you only have your own interests in mind, and you're amassing huge amounts of wealth on the backs of the same people you supposedly represent, while in fact screwing them... that's foul. Being a politician was never supposed to be a full time career.

Oh I agree and am for term limits - rather than career politicians. I do believe that they do not begin with only their own interests in mind (I assume there are a few as with all things)- power does corrupt.

Our Goverment is totally out of control!! we need to really clean house come Elections 2012 ! This is just Disgusting !