With the current minimum wage being low enough that working 40 hour weeks still puts people below the poverty line, those who sign this petition ask that Congress' salary be temporarily lowered to $7.25 per hour, for the following reasons:
1) They will be able to understand the budgetary issues provided with being paid a salary that keeps one below the poverty line. This will hopefully lead them to work on personal budgets to help them survive on that salary, giving them a glimpse of the difficulties faced by every American who is stuck in a minimum-wage job, attempting to rise out of poverty.
2) The Government will save a significant amount of money, which can go towards several areas that have faced major cuts, including unemployment, education, etc., or just towards our deficit issue.