$174,000 may well not be enough to make ends meet given that you have to maintain a secondary residence in DC, a very expensive city. Their residence in DC has to be a secondary residence, because they need to be a resident of the state they're representing too. I don't think asking for a housing allowance is unreasonable. We want people who aren't wealthy taking seats in congress.
We want people who aren't wealthy taking seats in congress.
-Absolutely, very good point. I can't imagine that in this day and age Mr. Smith, from the movie Mr. Smith goes to Washington, could afford to ever go. It really is a very expensive city, plus the travel between the two would be expensive as well. I wonder how much of that they can expense? To they get travel vouchers? How much of their lives is comped? Are they allowed comps or doesn't violate some ethics laws?