Our Congressmen are being paid far too much for what little service they do. When we are in a financial recession, they consistently vote to give themselves pay raises. Currently, our Congressmen earn a minimum of $174,000 per year. With 435 members of the House of Representatives and 100 in the Senate, this translates to $75,690,000 for the House of Reps alone and and additional $17,400,000 for the Senate. This is a combined $93 million that can go toward the treasury per year.
This number does not add in any of their additional pay increases, nor any retirement benefits that they earn after only 5 years of service. They say change starts from the top. I think our executive, judicial, and legislative branches need to remember that.