Do you realize how little Congress is actually in session?

Question

When the gavel comes down on the 109th Congress, they will have worked a total of 103 days!
They get paid a lot, have a lot of perks, and wield a lot of power for hardly working!
Don't you think they should work more? They spend an awful lot of time fundraising and campaigning.

Answer 1

They get paid ~$168,000 per year, and if they serve 3 terms or more, they get that for LIFE! They also have a medical and retirement package that is completely separate from Social Security and Medicare.

Congress is the new aristocracy. They vote themselves whatever money and perks they want, and we have to pay for it. There are NO good people in Washington D.C. anymore, they are all evil and corrupt.

I hope we don't get hit by a nuke in America, but if we do, I pray they hit D.C. We need to scrub that vile place clean, it is a disgrace to America, freedom, decency, and humanity.

Answer 2

I agree, they work too little and get paid too much. The goal of short legislative sessions was so that representative could have time to meet with their constituents, but few do aside from fund-raisers or when they're seeking reelection.

I like the way our state legislature is set up here in New Hampshire. The get paid $200 a year plus expenses and still work more than the current crop in Washington (107 days last year). Most have full-time jobs on the "side". This leads to a TRUE government of, by. and for the people.

Answer 3

Our founding fathers are probably turning (no make that spinning) in their graves at what is going on in DC....

Being in Congress as a Senator or Representative was supposed to be an honor. It was supposed to be in addition to the person's regular job that they had (most would have been farmers and laborers and regular business people) and not make the government position a career in of itself and the pay was really only to cover the costs of being away from home/business with some small incentive to actually do this duty. It is a shame that these career politicians continue to say they are for the people and yet are immune to the effects of their own decisions! The top people don't even work that hard- they have the subordinates do the "leg" work!

For instance, if we were forced to have socialized medicine that politicians would like to put in place, I bet that they themselves would not be forced to use it.

Answer 4

I don't think they should work more. They are a frightening group of self interested people. In fact, we should pay them to stay home. They may have the campaigning down, after all they got elected, but actual legislation no way.

Answer 5

I think they are under worked and over paid! They do not represent the common person at all as they are too out of touch and fiscally removed from their constituants, what other job allows you to grant your own pay rasies, comes with free medical care, travel at will expenses, allows you to pad the payroll with useless relatives? Only a career as a "public servent" does, of course we allow this don't we?

Answer 6

I`m sure they all showed up the day they VOTED themselves a raise and the day they turned down increasing the min wage

Answer 7

and what is more interesting is they still get paid monthly even when they are not working

Answer 8

Yeah, they should be working a ton more

Answer 9

"Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for."
- Will Rogers

Answer 10

You do the job!

Thank you very much, while you're up!!!