Make Congress accountable for economic instability by pinning their salary to 2x the median household income in the U.S.

Despite our current economic instability, Congress men and women receive automatic COLA increases annually and a starting salary of $174,000, which is more than 3x the average U.S. median household income ($52,762, 2011 Census) and higher than most Americans could hope to earn as a starting salary, even with a college degree. To ensure our representatives in Congress understand the same economic stresses felt by their constituents, their salary should be tied to no more than 2x the yearly U.S. median household income. Public service, to represent your neighbors' interests in national debates, was originally meant to be a privilege. It wasn’t intended to be a lucrative career, where guaranteed annual raises and hefty salaries weren’t tied to any measure of job performance.