GOP Chaffetz calls for Congress to get $2,500 per month housing

[Engineer]

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/339570-chaffetz-calls-for-2500-legislator-housing-stipend

Just days before he resigns from Congress, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said Monday that House and Senate lawmakers should receive a $2,500 per month housing allowance — something he explained would help ease housing costs for members who can’t afford two mortgages or rents.

“I really do believe Congress would be much better served if there was a housing allowance for members of Congress,” Chaffetz told The Hill in an interview in his Capitol office, where he sleeps whenever he’s in Washington. “In today’s climate, nobody’s going to suggest or vote for a pay raise. But you shouldn’t have to be among the wealthiest of Americans to serve properly in Congress.”

What happened to small government spending GOP? I guess that's for the other guy. Why would you run for an office that you cannot afford on the pay offered, $176,000 per year plus other benefits, which is around 3.5 times the median US household income. Cry me a river with your 'small government' calls - unless it's something that you want.

Oh, and this is the same guy that called for Obama's pension to be cut because of paid speeches....while other Presidents receive theirs as well as paid speeches and no call for them to lose their pension.

http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-speech-pension-2017-5

Not to mention a net worth of 5.6 Million in 2008...

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700238013/Chaffetzs-net-worth-up-to-56M.html

No partisanship or hypocrisy there Mr. CONgressman....none at all.

 

[vi edit]

Treat them the republican way. $2000 a year voucher. Phase it out after 100k of income. If it's good enough for health care and education it's good enough for their housing.

 

[xthetenth]

I unironically support trying to make it easier for people without much money to be politicians. This isn't it though.

Treat them like they would others. Means test the hell out of them, and hold up the worst example you can find across the nation as an average example.

 

[sandorski]

Bootstraps!

 

[brycejones]

Treat them the republican way. $2000 a year voucher. Phase it out after 100k of income. If it's good enough for health care and education it's good enough for their housing.

Make sure to tie it to something that rises slower than actual inflation in the real estate market.

 

[pcgeek11]

They already make enough money and they also get a tax break for their primary residence when they are away. We used it in the Navy and called it the SSBN Deduction or Boomer Deduction. And it is covered under the “Employee Business Expense”.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Aren't congresscritters regularly publishing books, doing paid speaking engagements, etc.? And dipping into the campaign funds for perks during their perpetual reelection campaigns?

Rent in Georgetown is high, but not insane for somebody making $170k plus the extras. Get a freakin' roommate.

To be fair, though, Chaffetz is from the desolate underpopulated West. He probably gets claustrophobic if he's within 100 yards of another person. And being able to hear your neighbors having sex is presumably terrifying.

 

[buckshot24]

Does his net work really matter? He's leaving before any of this would take effect.

 

[Commodus]

Does his net work really matter? He's leaving before any of this would take effect.

It's more the blatant hypocrisy that's the issue. Chaffetz and other GOP members will happily pull the safety net from people who desperately need it, but oh, politicians? We need our rent covered because $174,000 a year just isn't enough, oh woe is us.

 

[HomerJS]

Does his net work really matter? He's leaving before any of this would take effect.

suck....suck...slurp...slurp

Some things never change

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

It's more the blatant hypocrisy that's the issue. Chaffetz and other GOP members will happily pull the safety net from people who desperately need it, but oh, politicians? We need our rent covered because $174,000 a year just isn't enough, oh woe is us.

They should be mandated to make use of the programs they force changes upon, like Medicaid. I'd love for them to make cuts on that when they realize the only doctors which will accept within 50 miles have a 4 week waiting list.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Call me the dissenter. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect compensation for working out of state. I also think they are under paid for the decisions we require them to make.
I'd prefer to increase their pay, tie future increases to inflation, restrict/place a moratorium on paid lobbying after they leave office.

 

[Pens1566]

Call me the dissenter. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect compensation for working out of state. I also think they are under paid for the decisions we require them to make.
I'd prefer to increase their pay, tie future increases to inflation, restrict/place a moratorium on paid lobbying after they leave office.

I might be fine with all that, provided they actually work. And do so for the same length of time every year that us normal folks do. They're on recess more than in session, and when they're in session they're usually wasting money passing useless resolutions or naming courthouses.

 

[Blackjack200]

Call me the dissenter. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect compensation for working out of state. I also think they are under paid for the decisions we require them to make.
I'd prefer to increase their pay, tie future increases to inflation, restrict/place a moratorium on paid lobbying after they leave office.

As has already been pointed out, $176,000 is plenty of money and 3.5x median household income. I'd like to see their pay tied to a multiple of median net income.

Chaffetz is doing this because he's not running again and so is insulated from the backlash.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

As has already been pointed out, $176,000 is plenty of money and 3.5x median household income. I'd like to see their pay tied to a multiple of median net income.

Chaffetz is doing this because he's not running again and so is insulated from the backlash.

The counter point is look at how many peoples lives they effect, compare that to a mid sized company CEO or even a specialized Engineer or data security expert.
I know a bunch of people in Congress are turds, I'm just saying for the decisions they are expected to make they are under paid IMO.
I know there will be plenty of forum push back.

 

[vi edit]

How bout we just have El Presidente offer out discounted rooms down the road at Trump DC hotel to put these poor guys up for their stay?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I might be fine with all that, provided they actually work. And do so for the same length of time every year that us normal folks do. They're on recess more than in session, and when they're in session they're usually wasting money passing useless resolutions or naming courthouses.

I'd agree here too, tie pay increase to minimum days in Washington or something. They definitely need to be in session more.

 

[vi edit]

One major caveat - you lose XX% for every town hall you skip out on.

Something something compensation for representation...

 

[vi edit]

Seems like dormitories are in order, serving as a politician used to be a hardship, dunno that they need more perks.

I actually typed that up before changing it to Trump hotel. 3 hots and a cot boys!

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Seems like dormitories are in order, serving as a politician used to be a hardship, dunno that they need more perks.

This could work, I'm not saying prison type dorms, more like nice condo. Having them live together may help them be less partisan.

 

[Blackjack200]

The counter point is look at how many peoples lives they effect, compare that to a mid sized company CEO or even a specialized Engineer or data security expert.
I know a bunch of people in Congress are turds, I'm just saying for the decisions they are expected to make they are under paid IMO.
I know there will be plenty of forum push back.

Let's ignore that the senate's "effect" as you put it has been pretty fucking awful going back most visibly to the 2002 AUMF which has been used by American Presidents since to continue American interventionism in the Middle East.

Even in an ideally functioning Senate, the decisions that they make would be supported by the work of their staffs, and the idea that 3.5x compensation is not enough is just insane. Look at what MPs make in Britain.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Small government at work

 

[dainthomas]

House Republicans have literally done nothing the last eight years. Chaffetz could have put a cardboard cutout of himself in the House chamber and stayed at home and no one would have noticed. Problem solved.

 

[buckshot24]

suck....suck...slurp...slurp

Some things never change

I do not support his proposal. But he's leaving like this week, none of this will benefit him.

 

[buckshot24]

I'd agree here too, tie pay increase to minimum days in Washington or something. They definitely need to be in session more.

They are there to support their constituents, being "home" is part of their job.