U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wisconsin) " I struggle to meet my bills right now." |
U.S. Representative Sean Duffy (R-Wisconsin) has company in complaining about his $174,000 tax-payer salary.
Sean Duffy may be out of touch with the American people, but not with his Republican colleagues.
In 2011 Duffy responded to a question at a town hall meeting in Polk County, Wisconsin asking if he would take a wage cut if the GOP passed its draconian budget bill.
An exasperated Duffy complained and said, "If you think I'm living high on the hog, I've got one paycheck. So I struggle to meet my bills right now."
Right.
Complaining about the salary and cushy A-1 benefits members of Congress get is almost unheard of from a sitting member.
And there's a good reason: Complaining about a $174,000 tax-payer salary means you are hopelessly out-of-touch.
U.S. Rep Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Georgia) "I’m stuck here making $172,000 a year,” |
Members of Congress also get to keep their campaign war chests after they retire, and typically take six-figure or seven-figure lobbying or consultant gigs after they leave Congress.
Duffy owns two homes in his district, has a life-time congressional pension and a health care plan that most Americans can only dream of obtaining.
Aaron Blake in the Washington Post notes besides Sean Duffy and Gingrey less than a half a dozen members of Congress have dared to complain in recent history.
Out of touch and out of mind.
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