Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA), who’s running for Senate in Georgia, complained that while his staff can jump to K Street and make $500,000 a year by lobbying, he’s “stuck” in Congress making a bare $172,000 a year.
The comments, relayed by congressional aides to National Review, came during a closed door meeting among Congressional Republicans on Obamacare.
The lawmakers were debating a proposal that would exclude members of Congress and their staff from a part of Obamacare that requires them to engage in federal health care exchanges. A number of lawmakers complained that participating in the exchanges would be costly. Gingrey, according to NR, stood up and said that Congressional aides “may be 33 years old now and not making a lot of money. But in a few years they can just go to K Street.”
“Meanwhile I’m stuck here making $172,000 a year,” he added.
In a followup phone interview with National Review Gingrey told the conservative magazine that he did not remember making the comments. The Georgia congressman said his point was that “it is completely unfair for members of Congress and Hill staffers to get this special treatment that the general public are not getting.”
Okay, so I will somewhat buy that based on cost of living, in some places $172,000 is not the most money you could have. And DC is expensive, plus you’re traveling a lot, and I’m sure being surrounded by extremely wealthy people starts giving you a skewed idea of what is and is not a lot of money.
BUT THIS BITCH IS FROM GEORGIA.
WHERE THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS$49,736.
And so possibly just shut up about how rough your life is when you make more than three times what your constituents make. Just don’t talk so goddamn much about how rough your life is and how little money you feel you’re making compared to what you’re owed. Just push the urge to say so deep down into the black pit where you’ve hidden your soul and try to live your damn life. Pay your bills. Live in your house that has no holes in it. Take your government health care and see your doctor.
I mean, ideally, work to make sure other people have the chance to do so, also, but this dude is part of the GOP’s stupidity caucus, so let’s set the bar kind of low. Just shut up.
A.
It is amazing that the good senator could forget that a major perk of the job is to be in a position of power – a position where he has access to enter into all sorts of deals which are beneficial to him and his staff.
As hard as it is to imagine how I’d live on $ 170 K a year, the good Senator gets that but also all sorts of business contacts who a looking for ways to make more money for him.
Hey, Georgia?
You can find a better use for this guy’s salary, can’t you?
Amazing the good senator could forget all the other perks that come with the job.
BlackSheep, love the idea. Just tell him that the people have decided, in order to share the belt-tightening of the economy, that his salary will be reduced, starting tomorrow, by $ 20 K a year(and ignore that the Dow and S&P hit record highs today – cause after all, as a repub he surely knows that Obama is ruining the economy).
Then see if he backpedals real fast and/or comes up with an excuse that he is staying in order to serve the people. Or if he is telling the truth, then he will be leave before the end of the week.
Of course, one reason to be a politician is so you can line up cushy K-Street jobs. Kind of like going to college except most colleges don’t give you a profit of $ 170 K while you’re a student with a guarantee of even more money after you graduate.