How to Fix Congress
/By Don Varyu
Apr 2024
an we just agree on this one thing? Congress is broken. It was bad enough when the two parties were in perpetual battle. But now the Republicans are warring with each other, and seeking a lifeline from Democrats in order to maintain their House Speaker. Strange times.
Look, everyone knows the root of the problem here. Those members of the House are bought and sold by corporations and special interests via contributions funneled through lobbyists. Neither are Senators immune.
It seems like a moral failing is at work here. But pause for a second to consider the life of House members. They face reelection every two years, meaning many (if not most) live an existence of nearly constant fundraising. It eats hours during the day, the evening, and on vacation. In exchange, they are vilified. While approval ratings for Biden and Trump limp along at a measly 40%...Congress is only half that.
Then there’s the issue of pay. It’s laughable. Members of the House of Representatives make $174,000 a year, and Senators make exactly the same amount. This in a country where the CEO of Apple makes $63 million—a year.
In Washington, on $174,000 you might be able to afford a pint-sized studio apartment and dine on Top Ramen. I have to admit that if I were a congressperson and a lobbyist invited me to a high-priced dinner, I’d probably accept, all while promising myself that I wouldn’t let it affect my votes. Yeah, right.
Well, this just describes the dreary present situation. It doesn’t get us anywhere—doesn’t fix anything.
So let’s do that.
f we’re incensed that these politicians are bought by big money…then let’s just go ahead and buy them ourselves!
Unless your dad is someone like Donald Trump, you need to work for a living. You probably look for a hack or side gig to supplement your income—just like those loyal souls in Congress. So, let’s take that temptation right off their to-do list. Let’s pay them.
Here’s what I suggest:
The salary of every U.S. Senator will be raised to $5 million.
The salary of every U.S. Congressperson will be raised to $2 million.
The salary of every state legislator in the country will be raised from a current average of about $40,000 to $250,000.
I’ll pause here a couple seconds until you stop screaming…
OK, think about it. At these prices, people in D.C. would never have to answer another call from a lobbyist. They could buy their own fancy dinners.
And you may be saying, “hell, for that money, I’d be happy to run for Congress myself!”. Exactly so! Increasing the pool of talent that wants these jobs means better candidates, and consequently, better government.
But…I know, I know—this would cost a fortune and you already pay too much in taxes. The total cost of this plan would increase the federal budget by $1.7 billion a year. That sounds like a lot. But that’s just .0002 of what the federal government spends every year.
Moreover, this is one case where the old promise, “it pays for itself,” actually applies. The government gives gas and oil interests between $10 billion and $50 billion a year in subsidies and tax breaks in exchange for allowing them to continue polluting the environment. Scrape a little off that, and bingo—easy money. And the scraping shouldn’t be hard since people in Congress would no longer need to talk to gas and oil lobbyists.
inally, let’s move to the legislative payoff—what we taxpayers get for our money. If elected officials become beholden to us, it seems only right that we start getting what we want. In other words, public opinion, not private greed, rides in the saddle.
Here’s a quick look at what the public wants (data from various recent polling):
You get the idea. We get to a splendid point where the majority rules; after all, that’s the whole idea of democracy.
raditionally, I’ve been just as critical as the next guy in blasting state and federal elected officials for “doing nothing,” or even worse, “doing evil.” But I’ve changed my mind.
Reflecting on this, I’m reminded of the saying, “money wins.” It’s true in the courts, it’s true in the marketplace, it’s true when sports teams go out and spend on star players. And it is certainly true in politics.
So, let’s move to a plan where the people we elect stop taking calls from lobbyists and start taking calls from the voters who put them there in the first place. If you fear they’ll be so rich they just ignore us, then we vote them out. And where else are they going to find that kind of money?
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