How much money do US lawmakers make?
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The House Speaker fight on Capitol Hill left work undone for weeks. And now the threat of a government shutdown looms once again. If that happens, Congressional members will still collect paychecks, as other government workers go without.
So how much money do US lawmakers make? And how is that determined? Good Question.
Whether you're a member of the U.S. House of Representatives or U.S. Senate, the current salary is $174,000 per year. It goes up for certain jobs such as majority and minority leaders, president pro tempore in the senate, and speaker of the house.
"Plus, they get travel (credit), plus they get expenses for a second home. This all sounds really, really great. People are saying 'sign me up for this job'," said David Schultz, constitutional law professor at Hamline University.
How is the salary determined for members of Congress?
"Salary is determined according to two provisions of the constitution. Article 1, section 6 of the constitution says that members of congress shall be paid out of the treasury. And then the 27th amendment to the constitution says that reps or members of Congress shall not have any pay increases go into effect until after the next election," said Schultz.
The current salary was last set in 2009. In the decade prior to that year, it had increased slightly almost every year, similar to other federal jobs, until hitting the active rate. Federal salaries for congress are set to increase yearly, established in 1989 with the Ethics Reform Act.
It is "based on changes in private sector wages as measured by the Employment Cost Index (ECI)," according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). The raise is automatic unless it is denied, which it has been for the past 14 years.
In fact, a recent report by the CRS states members of Congress are actually making 29% less than they were in 2009 because of inflation.
Had congress accepted an annual increase each year since 2009, the CRS states it would have pushed their annual salary from $174,000 to $208,300 in 2023. However, congress continues to write legislation that freezes their pay.
Why does congress keep freezing its pay?
"It hasn't gone up for the very reason that what, they have to face the voters," said Schultz. "Because I suspect that any member of congress right now that would vote in favor of a pay raise for themselves, their opponents the next time are going to run against them on that issue."
Despite not having a raise in well over a decade, a large number of those in congress aren't hurting for money. Many were doctors, lawyers, business owners before holding office.
During a 2019 financial disclosure, it showed half of the members of congress were millionaires, according to Open Secrets.
And while they cannot hold their previous high-paying jobs while working in the house or senate, their net worth can continue to grow. That often happens through investment portfolios.
"We really don't want them to have a second job. Their loyalty should be to the US and their job is full time," said Schultz.
Back to that gripe about Congress getting paid even if the government shuts down. That's due to a provision written in the Constitution. For more information on the history of how Congress gets paid, including the changes to how the salary is adjusted, click here.
