Congress Underpaid? Outgoing Congressman Jim Moran Should Read More During Retirement

There is a great deal of ridiculous legislation and spending that comes from the United States Congress on a regular basis, but there can also be ridiculous statements made by our elected officials and last week we had a real gem. Representative Jim Moran (D-Va.) is apparently spending his final months in Congress saying outrageous things and ignoring the facts, when you consider what he said about congressional compensation.

Talking to Roll Call, Moran spoke about congressional pay while a bill appropriating salaries for members of Congress was being marked up:

“I think the American people should know that the members of Congress are underpaid. I understand that it’s widely felt that they underperform, but the fact is that this is the board of directors for the largest economic entity in the world.”

Moran’s comments reflect a clear distinction between the bubble that entrenched politicians live in, as opposed to the real world of working families who are struggling daily to make mortgage payments and keep the electricity on in their homes. In a 2013 report titled, “Money Well Spent? The Facts and Figures of Congressional Compensation,” the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) exposed congressional pay and benefits for what they really are, bloated and out of touch with reality:

Members of Congress receive pay and benefits far in excess of what average working Americans receive. In addition to a salary of $174,000 per year, which by itself puts legislators among the highest-paid five percent of U.S. workers, Members of Congress also receive generous fringe benefits. In fact, congressional compensation, including benefits, totals around $286,000 per year. With the average full-time employee in the United States earning $50,875 annually, Members of Congress make 3.4 times more than the average American.

What is even more frustrating is that Moran also made remarks about the cost of living “decently” in DC being prohibitive for many members of congress. At a time when wages are stagnant and the average wage is in decline, it’s almost unthinkable that an elected official would cry foul over a six figure salary with benefits, that is more than double what the median income is in DC.

Mr. Moran has plans to introduce an amendment to the spending bill that funds the legislative branch that would give members a per diem to cover costs such as housing, among other things.

So for all the grandstanding that Congressman Moran is doing complaining about how underpaid members are, and that they can’t afford to live in DC. The fact is lawmakers are making what amounts to nearly $300,000 annually when you add in all the benefits they receive, while the average full-time worker in the US is making just above $50,000 per year. TPA is hopeful that Mr. Moran’s crusade will go nowhere fast, and considering the unpopularity of our current crop of Congressmen and Congresswomen, they would all be wise to read the report before they begin to complain that they aren’t being paid enough by the taxpayer. In fact, a pay cut to Congress of less than half down to $100,000 would still be almost double the amount of the average full-time employee salary and would save taxpayers $39 million each year.