TheHill.com reported that members of Congress will receive a $4,700 pay raise in 2009, amounting to an additional $2.5 million burden on American taxpayers. Unfortunately, the current legislation that governs Congressional compensation authorizes automatic annual pay raises. This policy conveniently only forces Congress to draft and vote on new compensation legislation if its members are inclined to either freeze or amend the current automatic pay adjustments...like say, during an economic crisis?!
In most professions, job performance usually has some bearing on compensation. But even with an abysmal approval rating, Congress is still getting a bump (albeit a small one). That said, Congressional compensation is hardly egregious in and of itself.
In most professions, job performance usually has some bearing on compensation. But even with an abysmal approval rating, Congress is still getting a bump (albeit a small one). That said, Congressional compensation is hardly egregious in and of itself.
In the beginning days of 1789, Congress was paid only $6 a day, which would be about $75 daily by modern standards. But by 1965 members were receiving $30,000 a year, which is the modern equivalent of about $195,000.
Currently the average lawmaker makes $169,300 a year, with leadership making slightly more. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) makes $217,400, while the minority and majority leaders in the House and Senate make $188,100.
Yet, while the recession has lightened the wallets of most Americans, many of our lawmakers would be just fine without a pay raise. In fact, 2007 was a pretty good year for our bicameral brethren. They grew 13% richer, boasting a median net worth of $746,000, and approximately 60% of Senators and 40% of Congressmen are millionaires.
Pre-Election (Oct. 2008) Net Worth Leaderboard*
Senate:
1. John Kerry (D-MA) - $336,224,883
2. Herb Kohl (D-WI) - $241,545,513
3. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) - $103,560,020
4. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) - $93,715,011
5. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) - $89,509,099
6. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) - $84,171,162
7. Gordon Smith (R-OR) - $46,127,014
8. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) - $33,308,537
9. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) - $32,428,089
10. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) - $31,421,472
House of Representatives:
1. Jane Harman (D-CA) - $397,412,077
2. Darrell Issa (R-CA) - $343,457,521
3. Robin Hayes (R-NC) - $173,409,173
4. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) - $165,748,714
5. Michael McCaul (R-TX) - $64,073,077
6. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) - $62,468,047
7. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) - $50,297,547
8. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) - $47,350,092
9. Nita Lowey (D-NY) - $43,716,445
10. Gary Miller (R-CA) - $39,978,021
*Source: Center for Responsive Politics
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