Jason Chaffetz thinks federal lawmakers need a massive monthly stipend added to their $174,000 annual salary in order to cover housing. Unsurprisingly, he’s making this call just days before he exits Congress.
The timing is no accident. Politicians tend to speak with more honesty when they’re lame ducks — and they honestly believe that they deserve more money.
Part of the desire for more cash is ego, but part of it makes a bit of sense. Being a member of Congress is expensive, considering that members are expected to live in the state the represent while they work in Washington D.C. This requires either two mortgages or a rental or two just to work. It’s not uncommon to hear about many representatives sleeping in their offices to avoid the added expense their job requires.
But that doesn’t alleviate the fact that Americans are in no mood to hear them ask for more money when they already make so much — particularly while their approval ratings are so low and so many Americans are trying desperately to find good paying work.
Jason Chaffetz is on the way out, though, so he doesn’t mind the optics.
See how much more money he thinks his fellow lawmakers need on the next page:
Hell No! They are off more than working.
Try bunking in with the other Congressmen in similar situations. One rental shared with 4 to 6 men would ease the economic burden. We, the People would expect this from our ‘Public Servants”. We are expected to ‘pare down’ on expenses, why not you?
The word is GREED! They want to have their cake and eat it too.
No!!!
H*ll NO! They don’t do anything now but take recesses and run their mouths against everything. There are very few of them worth anything. If anything, they need a cut in pay, term limits and no perks.
No, they dont! You only get a raise when you do a good job.
NO raise
Heck no! Not the lol you fix this mess we are in. You need our insurance and pay with no perks’
If you can’t pay your bills with what you make now , you need to resign !!!
Ahhh. No. A building of various sized apartments needs to be built for a single or 3 bedrooms for families for each senator who stays in Washington