The House of Representatives has a big talent-retention problem, and simply paying lawmakers more money could help.
But for the 15th year in a row, members of Congress aren’t giving themselves a raise. Some members say even a small cost-of-living salary increase risks too much political blowback.
There’s an argument lawmakers don’t really deserve a raise anyway: This has been one of the least productive Congresses in decades and will likely be remembered for the House’s public, bumbling incompetence after the historic ousting of Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Members imagine a salary bump would go over poorly with voters, who already have a low opinion of Congress, and many of them would rather have wage stagnation than be kicked out of their seats.