Jason Chaffetz: Congress Deserves a Raise So They Can Pay for Second Homes

Rep. Jason Chaffetz is making one last request before he Congressongress in a few days. He wants more money for his fellow lawmakers so they can afford the dual housing required for the job — to the tune of $2,500 a month.

“I really do believe Congress would be much better served if there was a housing allowance for members of Congress,” Chaffetz told The Hill in an interview in his Capitol office, where he sleeps whenever he’s in Washington. “In today’s climate, nobody’s going to suggest or vote for a pay raise. But you shouldn’t have to be among the wealthiest of Americans to serve properly in Congress.”

The comments from the fifth-term lawmaker suggest that financial considerations were a big part of his surprise announcement in April that he was stepping down from Congress and relinquishing his Oversight Committee gavel.
Chaffetz’s son will be attending law school at the University of Virginia, and his older daughter attends college in Utah. His younger daughter will be attending college in a couple of years.

He officially will resign from the House on Friday, then explore opportunities in the private sector.

“Washington, D.C., is one of the most expensive places in the world, and I flat-out cannot afford a mortgage in Utah, kids in college and a second place here in Washington, D.C.,” Chaffetz said. “I think a $2,500 housing allowance would be appropriate and a real help to have at least a decent quality of life in Washington if you’re going to expect people to spend hundreds of nights a year here. …

“There are dozens upon dozens of members living in their offices, and I don’t know how healthy that is long term.”

While Chaffetz said $174,000 a year is a “handsome” congressional salary, he explained that subsidizing lawmakers’ housing costs in the pricey D.C. metro area could actually save taxpayer dollars. If he had a proper home in Washington rather than a cot in his office, Chaffetz said, he wouldn’t need to fly home every week on the taxpayers’ dime, and his wife, Julie, could visit more often.

Maybe Chaffetz is right about the costs of being a lawmaker. Sure, most Americans make significantly less than their representatives, but few are stuck sleeping in their offices to make ends meet.

Still, this is hardly the time nor place to be making such a request. Until Congress starts to produce results, they should probably hold off on the raise requests.

Source: The Hill