Congress Gives Themselves Another Massive Pay Raise: Taxpayers Foot the Bill for Millionaire Lawmakers!
Congress has sneakily awarded itself a $34,000 “pay raise”! This shocking revelation reveals how lawmakers, many of whom are millionaires, have exploited an internal rule change to pocket additional funds – all at the expense of hard-pressed taxpayers.
The underhanded maneuver allows Congress members to dip into an optional annual subsidy for their housing and meal expenses in Washington, D.C. Over 200 lawmakers, including 113 Democrats and 104 Republicans, have already taken full advantage of this questionable perk. This audacity has cost taxpayers a staggering $1.4 million for just the first half of 2023!
Among the beneficiaries of this lavish subsidy are millionaire Democrats like Rep. Katie Porter and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark. The irony is rich – or should we say, the rich are benefiting from the irony? These champions of wealth redistribution are quick to redistribute taxpayer money into their own pockets!
This outrageous pay hike was instigated following complaints from members like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Despite her hefty salary of $174,000, she argued that maintaining a home in her district and affording housing in D.C. was too burdensome. One wonders how the average American, struggling with surging rent and grocery costs, feels about this!
The report highlights a troubling reality: a record number of American households are now spending over 30% of their pre-tax income on rent. Meanwhile, grocery costs have skyrocketed by 20% since President Biden took office. Yet, the privileged political class in Washington sees fit to award itself extravagant subsidies!
The dubious honor of receiving the largest share of funds goes to Rep. Matt Gaetz, who billed taxpayers nearly $17,000 from January through May for his D.C. living expenses. Then-Rep. Mo Brooks, however, opposed the pay raise, arguing that such a decision should be made publicly rather than through a secret rule change.
This scandalous revelation is yet another example of the widening gulf between Washington’s political elites and the American people. As the cost of living continues to soar for everyday Americans, Congress’s self-serving pay raise serves as a stark reminder of the political class’s disconnect from the realities faced by those they purportedly represent.