He's not alone: AOC and others have argued lawmakers should be paid more in order to protect against corruption and make the job more accessible.
Rank-and-file members of both the House and Senate are paid $174,000 a year.
That probably seems like a decent amount of money, and it is: The median household income in 2022 was $74,580, according to the US Census.
But consider that members of Congress generally have to maintain two residences — one in Washington, DC, and one in their home state — and that they haven't gotten a raise since 2009.
Inflation, meanwhile, has eaten away at the value of that salary over time: If lawmakers' salaries had kept pace with inflation, they would be paid over $250,000 today.
Rep. Patrick McHenry, a North Carolina Republican who served as the interim speaker of the House following Kevin McCarthy's ouster, told The Dispatch that congressional pay needed to be raised in order to attract "credible people to run for office."
Before we start making obvious jokes, remember the tale of Robert Hanssen selling state secrets to Moscow.
One of the things he complained about was how difficult it was to manage finances on his salary while living in DC. Now I’m by no means suggesting we give members of Congress a raise. They should be able to figure it out with how much they earn. But what about the federal agents and employees who earn far less, and have access to extremely valuable data?
And why is DC so GODDAMNED EXPENSIVE?? The zoning regulations in DC have got to be some of the dumbest in the country. Using a law from 1899 to justify the max height of buildings based of firefighting equipment at the time is pathetic. The law should be scrapped so supply can meet demand in a city that is becoming increasingly unaffordable, even for those making nearly 200k a year.
I've always heard that the height restriction is relative to the Capitol dome, so as not to overshadow it. dc is mostly residential and essentially suburban in construction. there's plenty of space to convert to higher density as is, but no appetite for it.