Despite an decent record on progressive issues, this has got to be the most tone-deaf political statement to come out of a Democratic politician since Joe Lieberman jumped ship. Since he is retiring, it is no skin off his nose to say something imbecilic like this, but he sure as hell is not helping the Dems keep this seat.
Congressman: We’re underpaid!MSNBC
Virginia Democratic Rep. James Moran thinks members of Congress aren’t getting paid enough.
Moran and his colleagues make $174,000 a year, but he says that’s not enough money to live comfortably in the nation’s capital.
“Our pay has been frozen for three years and we’re planning on freezing it a fourth year. … A lot of members can’t even afford to live decently in Washington,” Moran told CQ Roll Call.
Moran is looking to do something about it. He plans to introduce an amendment to raise members’ salary to an unspecified figure, according to the report. He’s not optimistic the bill will go anywhere – “this is wholly quixotic,” he told the paper – but he hopes it will highlight what he sees as a hardship for elected officials.
Moran isn’t the first to complain about congressional pay. In 2011, Wisconsin Republican Rep. Sean Duffy was criticized for complaining about his salary to an underemployed construction worker.
“I struggle to meet my bills right now,” Duffy said, commenting that he drives a used minivan and struggles to pay his bills and mortgage.
Seriously? You make more than three times the national median salary and you whine about being "underpaid". You have your every whim catered to by a platoon of paid (by the taxpayer) and unpaid staff and you are "underpaid"? You have a better healthcare plan (which footed the bill for your daughter's chemo) than the majority of Americans and you are "underpaid"?