Congressman Upset His $174,000 Annual Salary Not Enough To Live 'Decently' In D.C.

Business Insider ^ | 04/04/2014 | Paul Szoldra

[SeekAndFind]

n an interview published Thursday in Roll Call, Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) lamented that his $174,000 annual salary was not enough to live "decently" in Washington, D.C. "I think the American people should know that the members of Congress are underpaid," Moran said. "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."

The remarks came as the House begins markup on a bill to fund all legislators' salaries. Moran is planning to introduce an amendment that would offer lawmakers a per diem, USA Today reports.

Moran stated that some members actually sleep in their offices while in session. But since his district is just across the river in northern Virginia, he doesn't have to maintain two homes (or a small apartment) like other members, as the Washington Post notes.

“Our pay has been frozen for three years and we’re planning on freezing it a fourth year," Moran told Roll Call. "

[Zhang Fei]

From a chart available from the Social Security Administration website, Moran's salary puts him in the top 2% of wage earners:

Distribution of wage earners by level of net compensation

	Wage earners			Net compensation
Net compensation interval	Number	Cumulative number	Percent of total	Aggregate amount	Average amount
$0.01 — 4,999.99	23,303,064	23,303,064	15.16808	$47,183,753,407.04	$2,024.79
5,000.00 — 9,999.99	13,839,616	37,142,680	24.17635	102,500,638,297.93	7,406.32
10,000.00 — 14,999.99	12,312,564	49,455,244	32.19066	153,421,129,619.73	12,460.53
15,000.00 — 19,999.99	11,420,589	60,875,833	39.62437	199,398,369,215.82	17,459.55
20,000.00 — 24,999.99	10,798,184	71,674,017	46.65296	242,604,011,694.86	22,467.11
25,000.00 — 29,999.99	10,017,271	81,691,288	53.17325	275,019,343,966.28	27,454.52
30,000.00 — 34,999.99	9,282,086	90,973,374	59.21501	301,162,172,349.52	32,445.53
35,000.00 — 39,999.99	8,317,471	99,290,845	64.62889	311,393,440,479.48	37,438.48
40,000.00 — 44,999.99	7,261,520	106,552,365	69.35545	308,087,495,327.81	42,427.41
45,000.00 — 49,999.99	6,262,046	112,814,411	73.43145	297,046,618,079.65	47,436.03
50,000.00 — 54,999.99	5,437,201	118,251,612	76.97055	285,000,166,908.01	52,416.71
55,000.00 — 59,999.99	4,568,352	122,819,964	79.94411	262,359,915,949.22	57,429.88
60,000.00 — 64,999.99	3,932,564	126,752,528	82.50383	245,421,183,211.26	62,407.42
65,000.00 — 69,999.99	3,331,743	130,084,271	84.67248	224,634,035,978.54	67,422.38
70,000.00 — 74,999.99	2,872,834	132,957,105	86.54242	208,064,761,906.17	72,424.92
75,000.00 — 79,999.99	2,473,508	135,430,613	88.15244	191,516,039,796.28	77,426.89
80,000.00 — 84,999.99	2,097,234	137,527,847	89.51754	172,870,543,883.48	82,427.88
85,000.00 — 89,999.99	1,790,548	139,318,395	90.68302	156,537,324,612.08	87,424.25
90,000.00 — 94,999.99	1,544,850	140,863,245	91.68857	142,776,231,315.99	92,420.77
95,000.00 — 99,999.99	1,338,847	142,202,092	92.56003	130,454,386,174.71	97,437.86
100,000.00 — 104,999.99	1,171,733	143,373,825	93.32272	119,999,937,569.68	102,412.36
105,000.00 — 109,999.99	994,423	144,368,248	93.96999	106,838,496,790.27	107,437.68
110,000.00 — 114,999.99	873,171	145,241,419	94.53834	98,165,459,835.55	112,424.10
115,000.00 — 119,999.99	763,062	146,004,481	95.03502	89,614,007,707.54	117,440.01
120,000.00 — 124,999.99	682,898	146,687,379	95.47952	83,595,323,916.05	122,412.61
125,000.00 — 129,999.99	592,056	147,279,435	95.86490	75,443,210,201.19	127,425.80
130,000.00 — 134,999.99	524,661	147,804,096	96.20640	69,469,980,977.22	132,409.27
135,000.00 — 139,999.99	457,040	148,261,136	96.50389	62,814,075,394.80	137,436.71
140,000.00 — 144,999.99	406,767	148,667,903	96.76866	57,942,508,918.79	142,446.43
145,000.00 — 149,999.99	366,387	149,034,290	97.00714	54,028,568,606.42	147,463.12
150,000.00 — 154,999.99	334,544	149,368,834	97.22490	50,980,836,341.18	152,389.03
155,000.00 — 159,999.99	289,242	149,658,076	97.41316	45,533,883,998.04	157,424.87
160,000.00 — 164,999.99	254,482	149,912,558	97.57881	41,334,132,311.83	162,424.58
165,000.00 — 169,999.99	228,916	150,141,474	97.72781	38,330,391,364.45	167,443.04
170,000.00 — 174,999.99	205,305	150,346,779	97.86145	35,404,476,536.04	172,448.19
175,000.00 — 179,999.99	187,519	150,534,298	97.98350	33,271,769,049.44	177,431.46
180,000.00 — 184,999.99	172,973	150,707,271	98.09609	31,549,655,376.24	182,396.42
185,000.00 — 189,999.99	152,840	150,860,111	98.19558	28,649,912,185.05	187,450.35
190,000.00 — 194,999.99	141,392	151,001,503	98.28761	27,211,154,312.32	192,451.87
195,000.00 — 199,999.99	132,632	151,134,135	98.37394	26,190,609,342.00	197,468.25
200,000.00 — 249,999.99	889,250	152,023,385	98.95276	197,428,650,390.97	222,017.04
250,000.00 — 299,999.99	481,491	152,504,876	99.26616	131,099,976,147.45	272,279.18
300,000.00 — 349,999.99	288,002	152,792,878	99.45362	92,998,527,035.45	322,909.31
350,000.00 — 399,999.99	188,850	152,981,728	99.57655	70,493,610,753.02	373,278.32
400,000.00 — 449,999.99	131,391	153,113,119	99.66207	55,633,820,317.14	423,421.85
450,000.00 — 499,999.99	94,663	153,207,782	99.72369	44,855,858,825.15	473,847.85
500,000.00 — 999,999.99	305,108	153,512,890	99.92228	203,304,014,055.67	666,334.59
1,000,000.00 — 1,499,999.99	59,767	153,572,657	99.96118	71,691,398,838.14	1,199,514.76
1,500,000.00 — 1,999,999.99	21,919	153,594,576	99.97545	37,655,292,524.30	1,717,929.31
2,000,000.00 — 2,499,999.99	10,981	153,605,557	99.98260	24,423,801,656.70	2,224,187.38
2,500,000.00 — 2,999,999.99	6,569	153,612,126	99.98688	17,941,046,566.02	2,731,168.60
3,000,000.00 — 3,499,999.99	4,401	153,616,527	99.98974	14,219,111,245.40	3,230,881.90
3,500,000.00 — 3,999,999.99	2,951	153,619,478	99.99166	11,015,715,508.28	3,732,875.47
4,000,000.00 — 4,499,999.99	2,176	153,621,654	99.99308	9,207,611,931.02	4,231,439.31
4,500,000.00 — 4,999,999.99	1,654	153,623,308	99.99415	7,835,992,842.95	4,737,601.48
5,000,000.00 — 9,999,999.99	6,067	153,629,375	99.99810	41,153,891,735.77	6,783,235.82
10,000,000.00 — 19,999,999.99	2,021	153,631,396	99.99942	27,309,707,840.18	13,512,967.76
20,000,000.00 — 49,999,999.99	728	153,632,124	99.99989	20,832,426,527.70	28,615,970.51
50,000,000.00 and over	166	153,632,290	100.00000	16,177,553,041.48	97,455,138.80

[cva66snipe]

Ah Poor Baby. Maybe Debbie Wasserman Schultz will ask taxpayers to send him donations.

If he doesn't like the pay that's fine. Resign now and return to the private sector. BTW Washington, DC was never intended for our elected leaders to establish their residency there. They except for POTUS were expected to return home as in home state when not in session and it should be required they do so now. The District of Columbia and immediate outlying areas have now become the most represented area in the nation due to career politicians now living there permanently.

[berdie]

I completely agree!!

Texas lege meets biannually. Maybe the federal lege needs to meet a little more often...but not that much.

I think it would solve a multitude of problems with our patrician politicians. And maybe the poor mistreated pol in the article could be able to get a job and not be destitute.

Dang...he might be able to enjoy the privilege of serving his country if he weren’t impoverished by having to give up his livelihood.

[SamAdams76]

Doesn't seem to stop them from seeking re-election.

[kcvl]

The report details how Members of Congress earn a salary of $174,000—that’s 3.4 times higher than the average full-time American worker, who earns $50,875 per year. Even if you compare Members of Congress to more educated, private sector employees, they’re still doing pretty well—those Americans earn on average $83,000 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But Our Generation and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance report that the congressional base salary is just the beginning. If you count the $110,000 in taxpayer-funded fringe benefits Members receive (including plush retirement plans, paid time off, and contributions to Social Security and Medicare taxes), they’re earning close to $285,000 per year.

http://blog.heritage.org/2011/07/29/members-of-congress-earn-big-salaries-and-fringe-benefits/

Overall, government workers earn well above what their private-sector counterparts make, even before you consider benefits.” And those benefits include near-absolute job security, robust retirement and health benefits plans, paid leave, group life insurance, and even on-site child care.

[Nifster]

Moran has always been a POS. I would do the job at less money and give better value.

These rich fat cats haven’t worked a day in the last two decades and complain that they don’t have gilded poop

[jsanders2001]

And he’s “exempt” from Obamacare too so that’s like an extra $8,000 $12,000 + a year. I could definitely live on it...

[kcvl]

Not only do congressional representatives and senators earn the guarantee of a monthly pension check — a benefit that has become increasingly rare for most U.S. workers — they also receive Social Security payments and can opt to pay into the federal Thrift Savings Plan, a 401(k) style-plan with fees that are far lower than most retirement plans.

As a result, longtime members of Congress can easily retire with six-figure annual incomes for life.

Based on current salaries, members of Congress who serve just five years are guaranteed annual pensions of more than $14,000 at age 62, according to current pension formulas. And those who serve 20 years or more can qualify for a pension of at least $59,000 as early as age 50.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/07/29/retirement/congress-pension/

[ogen hal]

Moron moran is complete proof that congresslosers are extremely overpaid.

[Junk Silver]

[Nifster]

Nonsense. Your staff is paid out of your office operating expense. You do not have to have two places to live. What you need is a home in your district and room in DC. You apparently think that the $174,000 (and that doesn’t count all the other perks) are the only funds available to these ‘servants’.

This is a ridiculous amount of money to pay those who are supposed to represent us

[Georgia Girl 2]

Members of Congress and the Senate are a bunch of overpaid worthless quislings who have not even been able to pass a budget in over 6 years. The only time they can manage to pass any type of legislation is if its in their own self interest and a detriment to the people they represent.

They should all be fired.

[Jim Noble]

[MamaB]

No one forced them to be a congress critter so go home. Get another job like real people do. He has been there far too long.

[kcvl]

Despite his calls for a pay raise, Moran has been accused of using his position in Congress for his own financial gain.

In 2002, he supported a bill to overhaul the bankruptcy laws that was being heavily advocated by MBNA Corporation of Delaware, a credit card company who was found to have loaned Moran $447,500 “on what appeared to be highly favorable terms,” according to a New York Times article from the time.

Moran has also been accused — by author Peter Schweizer — of insider trading, allegedly using information he obtained in a congressional hearing to make more than 90 trades in a single day ahead of the 2008 financial collapse. Moran has denied wrongdoing.

He is retiring at the end of the year.

http://o.dailycaller.com/all/2014-04-04-dem-congressman-174000-a-year-not-enough-congress-needs-a-pay-raise#2

[zorkon128]

Moran’s networth went from 12.7 million in 2007 to $266,000.00 in 2010. I don’t know why it dropped so much or what it is now.

[Zhang Fei]

Nonsense. Your staff is paid out of your office operating expense. You do not have to have two places to live. What you need is a home in your district and room in DC. You apparently think that the $174,000 (and that doesn’t count all the other perks) are the only funds available to these ‘servants’. This is a ridiculous amount of money to pay those who are supposed to represent us

Goldstargop thinks Putin and Russia are friends of the free world, so he may be operating from a different frame of reference. Putin supposedly has $75b to his name, so what's a measly $174K a year compared to that?

[P-Marlowe]

It's the bribes.

And the stock tips.

[unixfox]

Divide that salary by the actual number of hours these assclowns work and it would be compared to professional athletes. I could only dream of a job where I only have to work about 100 days a year. If that.

Not to mention the “perks” they get on our dime. Feed em fish heads I say!

[BluH2o]

So, I ask, why do these dip sh*ts spend 10 of millions of dollars to get these low paying jobs?