Why don't we ever hear any uproar about the wage and benifit packages of our congressional delegation. The following is a copy of a very interesting article by Robert Longley, The article appeared on About.com at the following link http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/congresspay.htm
US Government InfoSalaries and Benefits of US Congress Members
By Robert Longley, About.com
U.S. Congress salaries and benefits have been the source of taxpayer unhappiness and myths over the years. Here are some facts for your consideration.
Rank-and-File Members:
The current salary (2009) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $174,000 per year.
Members are free to turn down pay increase and some choose to do so.
In a complex system of calculations, administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management1, congressional pay rates also affect the salaries for federal judges and other senior government executives.
During the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin considered proposing that elected government officials not be paid for their service. Other Founding Fathers, however, decided otherwise.
From 1789 to 1855, members of Congress received only a per diem (daily payment) of $6.00 while in session, except for a period from December 1815 to March 1817, when they received $1,500 a year. Members began receiving an annual salary in 1855, when they were paid $3,000 per year.
Congress: Leadership Members' Salary (2009)
Leaders of the House and Senate are paid a higher salary than rank-and-file members.
Senate Leadership
Majority Party Leader - $193,400
Minority Party Leader - $193,400
House Leadership
Speaker of the House2 - $223,500
Majority Leader - $193,400
Minority Leader - $193,400
A cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes to not accept it.
Benefits Paid to Members of Congress
You may have read that Members of Congress do not pay into Social Security. Well, that's a myth.
Prior to 1984, neither Members of Congress nor any other federal civil service employee paid Social Security taxes. Of course, the were also not eligible to receive Social Security benefits. Members of Congress and other federal employees were instead covered by a separate pension plan called the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The 1983 amendments to the Social Security Act required federal employees first hired after 1983 to participate in Social Security. These amendments also required all Members of Congress to participate in Social Security as of January 1, 1984, regardless of when they first entered Congress. Because the CSRS was not designed to coordinate with Social Security, Congress directed the development of a new retirement plan for federal workers. The result was the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986.
Members of Congress receive retirement3 and health benefits4 under the same plans available to other federal employees. They become vested after five years of full participation. Members elected since 1984 are covered by the Federal Employees' Retirement System5 (FERS). Those elected prior to 1984 were covered by the Civil Service Retirement System6 (CSRS). In 1984 all members were given the option of remaining with CSRS or switching to FERS.
As it is for all other federal employees, congressional retirement is funded through taxes and the participants' contributions. Members of Congress under FERS contribute 1.3 percent of their salary into the FERS retirement plan and pay 6.2 percent of their salary in Social Security taxes.
Members of Congress are not eligible for a pension until they reach the age of 50, but only if they've completed 20 years of service. Members are eligible at any age after completing 25 years of service or after they reach the age of 62. Please also note that Members of Congress have to serve at least 5 years to even receive a pension.
The amount of a congressperson's pension depends on the years of service and the average of the highest 3 years of his or her salary. By law, the starting amount of a Member's retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of his or her final salary.
According to the Congressional Research Service, 413 retired Members of Congress were receiving federal pensions based fully or in part on their congressional service as of Oct. 1, 2006. Of this number, 290 had retired under CSRS and were receiving an average annual pension of $60,972. A total of 123 Members had retired with service under both CSRS and FERS or with service under FERS only. Their average annual pension was $35,952 in 2006.
This About.com page has been optimized for print. To view this page in its original form, please visit: http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/congresspay.htm
©2009 About.com, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.
doesn't our own councilman Bob Kaul get paid this much too?
ReplyDeleteTo hear him yak at the council meetings you would think he is was former CEO or some Wall street company
I worked with Know-it-all Kaul and he sure as heak wasn't paid like a CEO, but he sure acted like one. How's that commercial saying go, I'm not really a doctor, but I play one on TV...Bob Kaul in a "nut" shell!
ReplyDeleteBob (know it all Kaul) might not be a CEO but he did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. while he was teaching Loretta Lynn how to ride a horse. I I I and more I,s is Bob Know it all Kaul's philosophy.
ReplyDeleteUndestand about their pay and their pension but can anyone tell me how to find out about their other benefits, like medical insurance, etc.
ReplyDeleteHow much it is, who is covered, are they still covered when they retire.
I always think those types of benefits are what racks up the dollars. When someone is retired it really helps to have your medical insurance, etc. paid for as opposed to having to pay for it out of your retirement paycheck.
My understanding is they only pay about 42.00 a month for health insurance and they recieve those benefits for life. Probably only if they put in a number of years but still.. I think it's time they start paying a far larger share of insurance just like the rest of us out here. They voted no raise for social securtiy this year because gas prices are still down and yet gave themselves a raise right after the election. I am so frustrated with all that is going on but I don't know how to get people in this country angry enough to do something about it.
ReplyDelete