$1,455,000,000 THATS WHAT THE HOUSE AND SENATE THUGS MAKE: TAKE A LOOK IT MADE ME SICK
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Congressional Salaries and Allowances
Congressional Research Service
1
Compensation of Members of Congress and
Related Benefits
Compensation
The most recent pay adjustment for Members of Congress was in January 2009.
1
Since then, the
compensation for most Senators, Representatives, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner
from Puerto Rico has been $174,000.
2
The only exceptions include the Speaker of the House ($223,500) and the President pro tempore
of the Senate and the majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate ($193,400).
Outside Earned
Income Limits and Prohibition on Honoraria
Permissible “outside earned income” for Representatives and Senators is limited to 15% of the
annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule
Congress) states: “the term ‘outside earned income’ means, with respect to a
Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House, wages, salaries, fees, and other
amounts r
eceived or to be received as compensation for personal services actually rendered,” with exceptions,
including, for example “copyright royalties received from established publishers under usual and customary contractual
terms.” For additional information, see House Rule XXV and Senate Rule XXXVI.
Congressional Salaries and Allowances
4
The acceptance of
honoraria by Senators was prohibited effective August 14, 1991.
5
Tax Deductions
Members are allowed to deduct, for income tax purposes, living expenses up to $3,000 per
annum, while away from their congressional districts or home states.
6
Health and Life Insurance Provisions
Members are eligible to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and may
select from among several health benefit plans. Participation is on a voluntary, contributory basis.
Section 1312(d)(3)(D) of P.L. 111-148, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, states that
the only health plans available to Members of Congress and certain congressional staff are those
plans created under the act or offered through an exchange established under the act. The
exchanges are not yet operational, and regulations on implementation of this provision have not
been promulgated.
7
Members also are eligible to participate in the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program.
The amount of coverage for personal insurance is determined by a formula based on the coverage
elected.
8
Retirement Provisions
Various options are available to Members regarding participation in the Civil Service Retirement
System and the Federal Employees Retirement Sy
stem. Benefits vary depending on retirement
plan, age, and length of service. Since January 1, 1984, participation in Social Security has been
mandatory for all Members of Congress
The Ethics Reform Act (P.L. 101-194, November 30, 1989, 103 Stat. 1782) reduced the limit on honoraria from 40%
to 27% of salary beginning in 1990, with further decreases set to accompany Senate pay raises. The FY1992
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act (P.L. 102-90, August 14, 1991, 105 Stat. 450-451) subsequently banned
honoraria. See also: Senate Rule XXXVI and U.S. Senate, Select Committee on Ethics,
Senate Ethics Manual
Congressional Salaries and Allowances
Congressional Research Service
3
Personnel, Office Expenses, and Mail Allowances
for Representatives
The Members’ Representa
tional Allowance (MRA)
The Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA) is available to support Representatives in
their official and representational duties.
10
The MRA may be used for official expenses including, for example, staff, travel, mail, office
equipment, district office rental, stationery, and other office supplies.
The MRA is also subject to a number of restrictions. For example, the MRA may not be used to
defray any personal or campaign-related expe
nses. A Member is also prohibited from using
campaign funds (except where authorized by the Committee on Ethics) or committee funds to pay
for expenses related to official representational duties; using an unofficial office account;
accepting funds or assistance from a private source for an official activity; or using personal
funds to pay for franked mail.
A Member is responsible for personally paying for any expenses that are in excess of the
authorized MRA level or that are not reimbursabl
e under regulations of the Committee on House
Administration.
11
The MRA for each Representative is calculated based on three components, including personnel,
official office expenses, and official (franked) mail. The personnel allowance component is the
same for each Member. The office expenses and mail allowances components vary from Member
to Member due to variations in the distance between a Member’s district and Washington, DC,
cost of office space in the district, and number of non-business addresses in the district. The three
components are combined and result in a single MR
A authorization for each Representative that
can be used to pay for any type of official expense. For example, each Representative can choose
how much to allocate to travel versus personnel or supplies.
The MRA for each Member is authorized from January 3 of each year through January 2 of the
following year. These allowances are authorized in statute and regulated and adjusted by the
Committee on House Administration.
The MRA is funded in the House “Salaries and Expenses” account in the annual legislative
branch appropriations bills. This account has decreased in recent years, from $660.0 million in
FY2010, to $573.9 million in FY2012. Additionally, the
Statement of Disbursements of the House
states that the
10
Congressional Salaries and Allowances
Congressional Research Service
4
total amount of each Member’s 2012 Representational Allowance is 88.92% of the amount
authorized in 2010. This is in accordance wi
th a 5% reduction to the 2010 authorization
mandated in House Resolution 22, agreed to on January 6, 2011, and a 6.4% reduction to the
2011 authorization as reflected in H.R. 2055, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012
(P.L. 112-74).
12
The 2012 allowances range from $1,270,129 to $1,564,613, with an average of $1,353,205.
13
Personnel Allowance Component of the MRA
The
Statement
of Disbursements of the House
also provides the formula that was used for
determining each Member’s MRA.
In the 2010 formula, the personnel allowance component of this calculation was $944,671 for
each Member.
14
This component is combined with the other MRA components and results in one
authorization that can be used to pay for any type of official expense.
Each Member may use the MRA to employ no more than 18 permanent employees. A Member
may employ up to four additional employees if they fall into one of the following categories:
15
1.
part-time employees;
2.
shared employees;
3.
interns receiving pay;
4.
employees on leave without pay; and
5.
temporary employees.
Pursuant to a Pay Order issued in 2009, the salary
of an employee in a Member office may not
exceed an annual rate of $168,411.
16
12
For the 2012 formula, see U.S. Congress, House,
Statement of Disbursements of the House
, as compiled by the Chief
Administrative Officer, from January 1, 2012, to March 31, 2012, part 3 of 3, H.Doc. 112-106, 112
th
Cong., 2
nd
sess.
(Washington: GPO, 2012), p. 3225.
13
CRS calculations based on the
Statements of Disbursements
for the first quarter (January-March) of 2012. The
calculations exclude Delegates and the Resident Commissioner. Members elected by special election and sworn in
during the first quarter are also excluded.
14
Ibid.
15
2 U.S.C. 92. The 18-person limit first became effective in 1975 (Committee Order No. 16
, Congressional Record
,
March 6, 1975, p. 5556), while the four additional other-than-permanent staff were authorized in 1979 (H.Res. 359,
agreed to on July 20, 1979, and enacted into permanent law by P.L. 96-536, Section 101(c), December 16, 1980, 94
Stat. 3167). See also P.L. 104-186, 110 Stat 1720, August 20, 1996.
16
U.S. Congress, House, Order of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, implementing a pay increase for House
employees, effective January 9, 2009, issued January 9, 2009 (contained in 2 U.S.C. 60a-2a; http://uscode.house.gov).
Members of Congress did not receive a pay adjustment in 2010, 2011, or 2012, and the maximum a
nnual salary for
staff in a Member office remained unchanged.
Congressional Salaries and Allowances
Congressional Research Service
5
Official Office Expenses A
llowance Component of the MRA
The official office expenses allowance component of the MRA varies for each Member. As stated
above, this component is combined with the other MRA components and results in one
authorization that can be used to pay for any type of official expense.
The base allowance in the formula established in 2010 is $256,574.
17
There are two additional factors in this component, including
1.
a sum for travel based on the following formula: 64 times the rate per mile,
multiplied by the mileage between Washington, DC, and the furthest point in a
Member’s district,
18
plus 10%. The minimum mileage amount is $6,200 for a
Member. The rate per mile used to calculate the 2010 allowance was as follows:
Table 1. Mileage Multiplier for MRA
Mileage Between
Washington, DC, and the
Furthest Point in a
Member’s District Rate Per Mile
Fewer than 500 miles $ .96
500 to 749 miles .86
750 to 999 miles .71
1,000 to 1,749 miles .61
1,750 to 2,249 miles .51
2,250 to 2,499 miles .48
2,500 to 2,999 miles .43
3,000 miles or more 1.32
Source:
U.S. Congress, House,
Statement of Disbursements of the House
, as compiled by the Chief Administrative
Officer, from January 1, 2012, to March 31, 2012, part 3 of 3, H.Doc. 112-106, 112
th
Congress, 2
nd
session
(Washington: GPO, 2012), pp. 3225.
2.
the dollar equivalent to 2,500 square feet multiplied by the applicable rental rate
per square foot charged federal agencies by the administrator of the General
Services Administration in a Member’s district.
Official Mail Allowance (Franking Privilege) Component of the MRA
Representatives may send franked mail in the conduct of official business.
19
Requirements on the
use of franked mail, including mass mailings, are established in statute, Rules of the House, and
17
Ibid., p. 3225.
18
The
Statement of Disbursements of the House
indicates that distance is based on the Rand McNally Standard
Highway Mileage Guide.
19
For additional information, see
CRS Report RL34274,
Franking Privilege: Historical Development and Options for
Change
, by Matthew Eric Glassman.
Congressional Salaries and Allowances
Congressional Research Service
6
regulations of the Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards (also known as the Franking
Commission).
The franked mail component of the MRA is based on a formula in which the rate of a single piece
of first class mail is multiplied by three, and the resulting figure is multiplied by the number of
non-business addresses in a Representative’s di
strict. The Committee on House Administration
set the 2010 official mail allowance for each Member at 45% of this calculation.
20
As stated
above, this component is combined with the other MRA components and results in one
authorization that can be used to pay for any type of official expense.
Online Publication of Disbursement Records
All MRA expenditures are reported in the quarterly
Statement of Disbursements of the House
.
Since November 2009,
Statements
have been available at http://disbursements.house.gov/.
Government Publications
Representatives may receive certain government publications and printed products. These
include, for example
,
one copy of
Deschler’s Precedents,
various manuals and directories, and
public document franked envelopes.
21
The FY2012 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P
.L. 112-74), however, contained language
prohibiting the use of funds “to deliver a printed copy of a bill, joint resolution, or resolution to
the office of a Member of the House of Repres
entatives (including a Delegate or Resident
Commissioner to the Congress) unless the Member requests a copy” or to deliver “a printed copy
of any version of the Congressional Record to the office of a Member of the House of
Representatives (including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the Congress).”
Personnel, Office Expenses, and Mail Allowances
for U.S. Senators
Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account
(SOPOEA)
The Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expe
nse Account (SOPOEA) is available to assist
Senators in their official and representational duties.
22
The SOPOEA has three components: the
administrative and clerical assistance allowance; the legislative assistance allowance; and the
official office expense allowance. The administrative and clerical assistance allowance and the
office expense allowance vary among Senators since they are governed by state population,
20
Ibid., p. 3225.
21
For additional information, see “Information Services for Members of Congress,” GPO Publication 250.4, January
2009, pp. 2-3, available at http://www.gpo.gov/pdfs/congressional/InformationService.pdf.
22
P.L. 100-137, Oct. 21, 1987, 101 Stat. 814, 2 U.S.C. 58c.
Congressional Salaries and Allowances
Congressional Research Service
7
distance from Washington, DC, to home states, and committee authorized limits. The legislative
assistance allowance is the same amount for all Senators.
The total amount available in each SOPOEA
is the sum of the two personnel allowances
(administrative and clerical assistance and legislative assistance) and the office expense
allowance. The three components result in a single SOPOEA authorization for each Senator that
can be used to pay for any type of official expense. For example, each Senator can choose how
much to allocate to travel versus personnel or supplies, although additional limits pertain to
spending on franked mail. Mass mailings may not exceed $50,000 per fiscal year,
23
and the
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration may issue additional official mail regulations.
24
The SOPOEA is funded within the “Contingent Ex
penses of the Senate,” account in the annual
legislative branch appropriations bills. The list of total office allowances contained in the Senate
report on its version of the FY2013 legislative br
anch appropriations bill (S.Rept. 112-197) shows
a range of $2,960,716 to $4,685,632, depending on the state.
25
The average allowance is
$3,209,103.
26
This account has decreased in recent years, from $422.0 million in FY2010 to $396.2 million in
FY2012. Additionally, the FY2011 Con
tinuing Appropriations Act, P.L. 112-10, enacted on April
11, 2011, stated that “each Senator’s official personnel and office expense allowance (including
the allowance for administrative and clerical assistance, the salaries allowance for legislative
assistance to Senators, as authorized by the Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1978 (P.L. 95-
94), and the office expense allowance for each Senator’s office for each State) in effect
immediately before the date of enactment of this section shall be reduced by 5 percent.”
The SOPOEA is available only to support each Senator’s official duties and may not to be used to
defray any personal, political, or campaign-related expenses. Senators are responsible for the
payment of any expenses that exceed the allowance.
Official Office Expense Allowa
nce Component of the SOPOEA
One component of the SOPOEA is the office expense allowance. The amount of this component
varies for each Senator depending on the distance between Washington, DC, and the home state,
the population of the state, and the official (franked) mail allocation. Requirements on the use of
the frank, including mass mailings, are established in statute, regulations and rules of the Senate,
the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and the Senate Ethics Committee. According
to preliminary figures in S.Rept. 112-197, the FY2013 office expense allowance component of
the SOPOEA ranges from $121,022 to $454,144, although all components are interchangeable.
27
23
FY1995 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, P.L. 103-283, July 22, 1994, 108 Stat. 1427, 39 U.S.C. 3210.
24
Ibid., p. 21.
25
Total obtained from U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Appropriations,
Legislative Branch Appropriations, 2013
,
report to accompany H.R.
5882,112
th
Cong., 2
nd
sess., S.Rept. 112-197 (Washington: GPO, 2012), pp. 20-21. The
Senate reports on the legislative branch bill generally prov
ide preliminary information on the allocation for Senators
from each state.
26
CRS calculation based upon state totals for all 100 Senators. Data provided in the Senate report are preliminary and
do not include any supplementals, transfers, or rescissions.
27
Ibid., pp. 20-21.
Congressional Salaries and Allowances
Congressional Research Service
8
Administrative and Clerical Assistance
Allowance Component of the SOPOEA
The administrative and clerical assistance allowance component of the SOPOEA is allocated
according to the population of a Senator’s state. The FY2013 Senate report (S.Rept. 112-197)
included preliminary allowance figures that
varied from $2,361,820 for a Senator representing a
state with a population under 5 million to $3,753,614 for a Senator representing a state with a
population of 28 million or more.
28
All components of the SOPOEA are interchangeable.
Legislative Assistance Allowa
nce Component of the SOPOEA
According to the FY2013 Senate report (S.Rept.
112-197), the legislative assistance component
of the SOPOEA is $477,874. The report states that this component is equivalent to three positions
paid at $159,291 each,
29
although all components of the SOPOEA are interchangeable.
Online Publication of Disbursement Records
All SOPOEA expenditures are required to be published in the semiannual
Report of the Secretary
of the Senate
.
30
The report is available at http://www.senate.gov/legislative/common/generic/
report_secsen.htm.
Other Allowances
Office Space in States, including Mobile Office Space
Each Senator is authorized office space in federal
buildings in the state he or she represents. In
the event suitable office space is not available in a federal building, other office space may be
secured. The cost of private space is not to exceed the highest rate per square foot charged by the
General Services Administration (GSA).
31
The aggregate square footage of office space that can
be secured for a Senator ranges from 5,000 square feet, if the population of the state is less than 3
million, to 8,200 square feet, if the state’s population is 17 million or more.
32
There is no
restriction on the number of offices.
Each Senator may lease one mobile office for use only in the state he or she represents, subject to
limitations on the terms of the lease, the maximum annual rental payment, and reimbursable
operating costs. No payment may be made for expenses incurred during the 60 days preceding a
contested election.
33
28
Ibid.
29
Ibid., and Order of the President pro tempore, implementing a pay increase for Senate employees, effective January
1, 2009, issued March 12, 2009; and Order of the President pro tempore, implementing a pay increase for Senate
employees, effective January 1, 2010, issued January 5, 2010 (contained in 2 U.S.C. 60a-1 and available at
http://uscode.house.gov).
Congressional Salaries and Allowances
Congressional Research Service
9
Furniture and Furnishings in Washington, DC
Each Senator is authorized furniture and furnishings from an approved list. Furniture and
furnishings are supplied and maintained by the Architect of the Capitol (for spaces in Senate
office buildings) and the Senate Sergeant at Arms (for offices in the Capitol). Additional
furnishings can be purchased through the Senate stationery store.
Furniture and Furnishings in State Offices
Each Senator is authorized $40,000 for state office furniture and furnishings for one or more
offices, if the aggregate square footage of office space does not exceed 5,000 square feet. The
base authorization is increased by $1,000 for each authorized additional incremental increase in
office space of 200 square feet.
34
Pursuant to the FY2000 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act,
this allowance automatically increases at the beginning of each Congress to reflect inflation.
35
The aggregate dollar amount is the maximum value of furniture and furnishings to be provided by
GSA for state office use at any one time. Furniture and furnishings remain GSA property.
Office Equipment in Washington, DC, and State Offices
Each Senator may use certain basic office equipment allocated in accordance with the population
of the state he or she represents and other factors that have been established by the Senate
Committee on Rules and Administration.
Government Publications
Each Senator is entitled to receive certain government publications and printed products. These
include, for example, copies of the daily
Congressional Record,
one copy of
Deschler’s
Precedents,
various manuals and directories, and public document franked envelopes.
36
Compensation of Other Congressional Officers
and Officials
Ta b l e 2
and
Ta b le 3
list the compensation for Members of Congress, officers elected by the
House and Senate, and officials appointed by House and Senate leadership
Congressional Salaries and Allowances
Congressional Research Service
10
Table 2. Members, Officers, and Officials of the House: Selected Salaries
Speaker of the House $223,500 per annum
Majority and Minority Leaders $193,400 per annum
All other Representatives (including Delegates and Resident Commissioner From Puerto Rico) $174,000 per annum
Chief Administrative Officer $172,500 per annum
Clerk of the House $172,500 per annum
Sergeant at Arms
$172,500 per annum
Chaplain
$172,500 per annum
Legislative Counsel $172,500 per annum
Law Revision Counsel $172,500 per annum
Parliamentarian
$172,500 per annum
Inspector General $172,500 per annum
Director, Interparliamentary Affairs $172,500 per annum
General Counsel to the House $172,500 per annum
Source:
For salaries of Members of Congress,
U.S. President (Obama), “Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay,”
Executive Order 13594, signed December 19, 2011,
Federal Register
.
Table 3. Members, Officers, and Officials of the Senate: Selected Salaries
President pro tempore
($230,700 per annum if the position of Vice President is vacant)
$193,400 per annum
37
Majority and Minority Leaders $193,400 per annum
All other Senators $174,000 per annum
Secretary of the Senate $172,500 per annum
Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper $172,500 per annum
Legislative Counsel $172,500 per annum
Legal Counsel $172,500 per annum
Parliamentarian $171,315 per annum
Chaplain $155,500 per annum
.
37
The U.S. Constitution provides that the Vice President shall serve as President of the Senate, and that when the Vice
President is absent from the Senate, the President pro tempore presides in his place. During a vacancy in the position of
the Vice President, the President pro tempore is considered the temporary, full-time President of the Senate and
receives the increased salary rate (2 U.S.C. 32).
38
The Senate Chaplain is paid the same as officials in Level IV of the Executive Schedule (2 U.S.C. 61d).
Congressional Salaries and Allowances
Congressional Research Service
11
Compensation of Committee Employees
House of Representatives
The maximum annual salary for employees of committees, as established in the 2009 pay order, is
$172,500 for up to three staff members (two majority and one minority); $170,696 for up to nine
staff members (six majority and three minority);
39
and a maximum of $168,411 for other staff.
40
Senate
The maximum annual salary for employees of committees, as established in the 2009 pay order
and continued in the 2010 pay order, is $171,315.
41
Author Contact Information
Ida A. Brudnick
Specialist on the Congress
[email protected], 7-6460
Acknowledgments
This report was originally written by Paul E. Dwyer, formerly a Specialist in American National
Government at CRS, who has since retired. The listed
author updated the report and is available to answer
questions concerning its contents.
39
The chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations may establish the salaries for 24 staff, seven of which are
to be designated by the ranking minority party Member.
40
U.S. Congress, House, Order of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, implementing a pay increase for House
employees, effective January 9, 2009, issued January 9, 2009 (contained in 2 U.S.C. 60a-2a).
41
U.S. Congress, Senate, Order of the President pro tempore, implementing a pay increase for Senate employees,
effective January 1, 2009, issued March 12, 2009; and Order of the President pro tempore, implementing a pay increase
for Senate employees, effective January 1, 2010, issued January 5, 2010 (contained in 2 U.S.C. 60a-1).
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We have 970 paid members of the House and Senate. The Sargent at Arms makes $172,000 to open the freekin door. For the sake of east reading I cut out many pages that statute numbers.