Members of Congress Benefits
by Members of Congress decide how much of our paychecks we get to keep and how we pay for our retirement. They are at this time deciding what kind of health plan our future holds. They also decided to give themselves a raise this year when so many of our citizens are out of work and we are in the middle depression.
Members of Congress decide how much of our paycheck we get to keep and how we pay for our retirement. Though most of us have been cut back to shorter hours or lost jobs and benefits, not to mention our 401k taking a beating, Senators and Representatives pension plans were protected and they gave themselves a pay raise. Monday they will take up the debate on our national health care, knowing their health plan is better by a long shot than what they will propose for us.
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Take a gander at the salary of the House and Senate members, including members of the Georgia delegation.
House and Senate members will earn $174,000 this year, up from $169,000 last year.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi gets $223,500 in yearly salary.
House majority and minority leaders each get $193,400.
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It’s well known that Congress has top notch health insurance with all the perks. Republican U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey of Marietta has suggested that Congress have their generous insurance plans cut off and be enrolled into any sort of national health plan they pass for the public. Their present standard insurance plan costs $175.08 per month, with the government putting in $363.16. There is a $20 dollar co pay for a doctors visit, and medicine costs $10. Even better, members of Congress get free VIP treatment at all military hospitals.
Members of Congress participate in the federal retirement plan. Their cost of living raises are much more generous than other retirees and they can retire earlier. Some longer serving members make more in retirement each year than they did while working. The National Taxpayer Union say congressional pensions are two to three time more than what a similarly paid executive in the private sector receives on retirement.
U.S.House members get yearly allowances of $1.3 million for general office expenses. Highest ranking members can get $4.5 million. It can be used for paying up to 22 staff members. They can’t use it for campaigning but most everything else goes. It can be used for plane fares to and from their home states, for chauffeurs, to pay for their offices back home and such. Annual expenses run about $2 million per senator. That money can be used for almost anything. They can take vacations, fly their wives around the globe. Expensive dinner parties and other entertainment comes from private donations to the political action committees.
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They also have a bevy of other perks. They have free reserved parking at Washing, D.C. airports. At the four story Capital they have private elevators with attendants, an underground subway to take them the few hundreds yards to the Capitol and surrounding buildings. On top of all the other goodies they get free cokes and peanuts provided by Atlanta based Coca-Cola Co. and the Georgia Peanut Commission.
If you would like to write about subjects of interest please click this link. http://www.triond.com/rw/6239
http://socyberty.com/history/hoover-and-the-great-depression/
http://socyberty.com/history/the-presidential-election-in-1848/
http://socyberty.com/economics/voodoo-economics/
http://socyberty.com/government/checks-and-balances-in-the-three-branches-of-government/
http://socyberty.com/politics/whitehouse-visitor-logs=released/
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Post CommentRinkal Desai
On November 27, 2009 at 2:57 am
Wonderful article! I love reading
wonder
On November 27, 2009 at 3:13 am
This is prevalent everywhere, the abuse of power at the cost of others.
Unofre Pili
On November 27, 2009 at 3:45 am
This is even worst in the Philippines. Nice write-up maam.
ken bultman
On November 27, 2009 at 5:41 am
Rank hath its priveleges. Don’t forget lobbyist kickbacks.
Papa Sparks
On November 27, 2009 at 5:46 am
I get a kick when Congress gives themselves a raise. Gee, as if they are hurting for money.
Christine Ramsay
On November 27, 2009 at 7:40 am
It all seems so unfair but I guess it happens in all countries. I know our government does much the same.
Christine
AlmaG
On November 27, 2009 at 8:03 am
Nothing is fair in Politics and it’s the constituents who always suffer the consequences.
xoxo
On November 27, 2009 at 9:47 am
And I thought politics in my country is nasty. Good post, Ruby.
Sharif Ishnin
On November 27, 2009 at 10:10 am
I guess who has the power control all the money. The rich always get richer but does that equate to happiness? Great insight.
Jamie Myles
On November 27, 2009 at 10:11 am
Great expose of the double standard that congress applies when it comes to them and us. You forgot to mention that many of them also have their spouces on the payroll as assistants (ie: “office expensees”) so they get more of the taxpayers money coming into their private coffers. They consider us as their laborers that work to provide for their lavish lifestyle.
Snooky
On November 27, 2009 at 10:15 am
mmm mmm mmm as if them turkeys aint stuffed enough already.
Phill Senters
On November 27, 2009 at 10:37 am
Good one Ruby. There needs to be term limits on these thieves, but they will never pass legislation that costs them their cushy lifetime jobs. So the only way we will ever get term limits is if we the people impose those limits in the voting booths.
Ramalingam
On November 27, 2009 at 10:58 am
The benefits enjoyed by the MPs, irrespective of the countries they are in, are really whopping.In India they always fly high whether the parliament is in session or not.When the parliament is adjourned for any untoward incident, say for the death of a MP, they go leisurely to the nearby canteen situate within the parliament compus, order a sweet of their choice and taste it leisurely.They say they are the privileged people.
Joe Dorish
On November 27, 2009 at 11:16 am
All the benefits Congress gets are a joke but the retirement benefits are ludicrous. How about we have a real Democracy and every citizen gets to actually vote on the benefits members of Congress should get!
Themax
On November 27, 2009 at 12:02 pm
nothing is fair, Thanks ruby very well written article,Thanks
lillyrose
On November 27, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Wish I held the purse strings like they do!
Moses Ingram
On November 27, 2009 at 12:54 pm
It must be nice to be able to give yourself a raise. This sort of things happens everywhere but it wrong for any politician to take a raise at this time. They should have taken a cut in their salaries to show that they were really concerned about the recession and what it’s doing to the average person.
Kate Smedley
On November 27, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Very interesting Ruby;we’ve had a massive expenses scandal here this summer, it seems like all politicians often take advantage of their situation.
Lex92
On November 27, 2009 at 1:53 pm
It’s almost sick howmuch they make. I mean, they can just give themselves raises. I like the idea that the government leaders have the same health care options as they will give their constituents. I mean, it’s only fair, right?
Great article makes me want to be a congress woman
Shirley Shuler
On November 27, 2009 at 3:26 pm
There is nothing fair when it comes to politics, Ruby. The whole thing just makes me sick!
PR Mace
On November 27, 2009 at 4:02 pm
It kills me that our goverment lives so well while the rest of our country is trying to make ends meet everyday. My daughter was laid off on Monday this has been the second time this year. My son works double shifts to care for his family. My husband and I are in health care and if the unempolyment tax is raised we will not recieve a pay increase this next year and everything continues to go up higher and higher. It has to stop somewhere.
Frances Lawrence
On November 27, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Well written. It seems that the old saying is true, power corrupts.
chitragopi
On November 27, 2009 at 10:34 pm
I thought this happens only in my country. You have exposed them all.
Eunice Tan
On November 27, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Informative article.
rajagiri
On November 28, 2009 at 12:24 am
it’s interesting stuff
http://www.replicawatchesindia.info
J J Neuman
On November 28, 2009 at 10:30 am
Thanks for summarizing all these perks and salary increases, not to mention the PAC money they accept. These people are not “public servents”. Maybe it’s time for a grassroots movement to allow ‘we the people’ to vote on their compensation? And, to think, the American Revolution was about freeing our country from a monarchy. What would the founders think about these people?
Judy Kaelin
On November 28, 2009 at 11:48 am
Another outstanding article, great information.
SharifaMcFarlane
On November 30, 2009 at 12:27 am
It`s the same all over the world.
The only way to beat it is to get into politics ourselves and make a change!
I have seen people go in to do just that and leave it because they got frustrated.
deklin42
On December 1, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Wow. Those are big numbers they are making.
Wennie Estares
On December 14, 2009 at 6:23 am
What a big box coming from people’s money