Thread by @cmclymer

Did y'all know that many Members of Congress live out of their offices when they're here in D.C., away from their districts? It's true! Mostly Republicans, they say that the cost-of-living is too expensive for a cheap apartment here in D.C. (thread)

This is totally real. It's actually an ongoing debate within Congress on whether representatives should be permitted to live out of their offices. Some say it violates ethics rules, some say it's unsafe during COVID. But they do live there!

Now, I don't know the exact total--I don't think anyone does--but some reports have said up to 100 House members live out of their offices. That's about 23% of the House. Let's say it's 60 Republicans -- that would be almost a third of the current GOP House Caucus.

To be clear, I don't see an issue with sleeping in one's office. I'm open to hearing the ethics argument against it, but otherwise, who cares? If you wanna save money by keeping a rollaway bed near your desk, fine. But there's another problem here...

Members of Congress in the rank-and-file make $174,000 annually. The median rent for a studio apartment in D.C. annually is $18,000. Annual utilities for one are about $1,800. Let's be generous and say there are a bunch of other costs and bump it up to $30,000 total.

Travel for House members to and fro their district comes out of a community budget called the Members' Representational Allowance, which is used solely for official duties and has strict guidelines. Bottom line: House members get their travel to and fro subsidized.

California has the highest state taxes, so let's take someone from there pulling down $117,000 annually. Minus cost-of-living in D.C., they're still sitting on $87,000 annually to live in their home district.

Here's a question for you all: do you think you could live on $87,000 annually? I sure as hell could. I could live on a whole lot less than that and still be quite comfortable. Because I have. So have many of you. $87,000 to most Americans is a GREAT salary.

But so many of these same Members of Congress who live out of their D.C. office because rent here is too high on their $174k salary somehow think you can get by with just one more $600 check.

$600. And yet, they claim to care about working families.

So, ask yourself this: if they're aware of the cost of rent and that families need help and that certain things--like tax cuts for the ultra wealthy--are unnecessary, do they really care about working families?

/thread

By the way, I am totally fine with Members of Congress making $174k or more. That reduces the obstacles for those with less privilege to run for office, as @AOC has smartly noted. I just wonder where that nuance and empathy is to be found when talking about working families.