You Only Wish You Could Live Like a Congressional Fat Cat

You and others never mention a couple of the biggest perks of all.

It must be neglect, because it can't be ignorance.

1. > They CAN'T BE CONVICTED OF INSIDER TRADING.!!!! Yes that is a BIG ONE!

2 > They are all treated like royalty wherever they go. They are waited on, bowed to, massaged, saluted, and treated like Kings and Queen or heads of State.

3.>They often don't have to pay for stuff or pay a large discount, because it's good business to have a Congressman visit your restaurant or hotel.

4. The Goverment pays huge amounts of money for them to travel to and fro from Wash DC. on Military Jets at government expense. There is no reason most of them can't fly commercial jets like the rest of the population.
Nancy Pelozi was the epitome of abuse with her

Like so many critics you are focusing in the chump change of the Congressional office. Where they make the real money is in trading on insider information, buying property "in the path of federal legislation", and the cushy benefits of providing preferred legislation for big donations and their grateful patrons. For example, when you he a Congressman crying about the minimum wage you will never hear him or her mention all the union contracts indexed to the minimum wage. Hmmm. As a governor of Arkansas Clinton was paid $33,000, but Hillary, at the Rose law firm got $500,00. Oh yeah, she was worth that! Corruption is all you get when you have the finest Congress/Politicians money can buy and they have ALL been bought and paid for, many times over.

FIRE the bastards in CONGRESS!!! Anyone who lies to the citizens who elect them should be charged for saying things and giving people hope to get in office. This is not MY AMERICA!! To live the fat cat lives that they do is unconscionable. And the media need to have rules too. they should not report altered information, but the truth, I have known the media lies and turns the public in a way they benefit them since I was 16. I believe its called sensationalizing. Keep to the facts and keep their own opinions to themselves. Respect the position that Our President and his wife have taken on. Instead they report about her bangs. What the hell??? Lets have a new election, that carries serious consequences if their intention is not meant for and by the people. Not about how much money it takes to get them there. As they wring their greasy hands thinking they have the golden ticket. 2 Blocks from the capitol in washington dc are homeless people. To think ahhh lets cut peoples income when they are disabled, elderly and poor. How dare they treat them as waste material, as if they dont have a right to live a better life then they have and to cut programs or money from them is absolutely cruel and stupid. Many of these people have worked hard their whole life, karma is a bitch. Just wait, you will see all your evil ways you will be accountable for. I am not a teabagger or a republican. sick of it.SUPPORT OUR PRESIDENT!!!!

We get precious little for the unforgivable largesse that goes their way; give them less and we would not likely get less but how would be able to tell? If they're so important, why aren't there any impressive people in the legislative branch?

They deserve healthcare while "in-service" and then medicare. They are civilians, like us.

They should pay for their own vacations. Their residences. They should only be able to serve two consecutive terms. Pay for their own cars, clothing, hotels.

If they are in another state they can stay at the nearest military guest quarters. And yes, they are only guests.

They should not have a raise unless WE vote them a raise. They work for US.

If we do not get a raise due to economy or due to job performance, same for them.

They are pitiful. If we performed our jobs they way they do, we would not have a job.

I nned to send this to everyone on my e-mail list & you show no way to do it. How about some help with that??

You know the perks that Congress gets are a pittance in the scheme of things. If the perks were that great everyone would run for office. The real problem is that great, intelligent, reasoned people don't run and get elected to these offices. Great men have both vision and the ability to compromise. This country is in trouble because of party driven politics. We can pick 12 good people at random and decide a mans life in court, but 535 people chosen by us can't compromise, and find enough common ground to keep the one truly free government running. I once read that during our first congress we had such disagreement in how our government should run that there was even talk of rejoining the English Crown. If we could come together under such decisive times, it is well within our ability to care for our poor, heal the sick, and defend this nation. I would give congress a bonus if they would give up their party politics and do the work of the voters that elected them. There is one more important point for congress to remember, and that is most were elected by 51 to 65% of their constituents. they may be beholding to their base, but the are still required to represent all the people in their districts, for the good of the nation

Get rid of Obama first and they will all go away. Impeachment?

Maybe they could do the job they were elected for if they had to feel the pain of higher gas prices, higher food prices, higher insurance premiums, a car payment and car insurance, jailed for insider trading, pay for their own vacation, flights. meals and lodging. Who gave them these perks, not the American public that works hard everyday for everything and then have half of their paycheck going to taxes. You can bet your bottom dollar they would make the changes needed in this country if they had to pay for everything like we do. Every one of them should feel ashamed of their greed while others are living paycheck to paycheck or working more then one job to make ends meet while they get rich. Instead of working together to make things better they bicker like children "It's my toy and you can't play with it.". How many of them lost their home? Home many of them lost thier job? Home many of them lost their pensions? The rich get the perks and the bailouts and the rest of us pay for it.

Wouldn't it be nice if we all could vote ourselves a pay raise every year. Wouldn't it be great we could get paid to screw everyone for our own self interest. Interesting that these idiots get a pay raise automatically every year for doing what? The worst of these is the socialist government that is now in place. Steal from the rich and give to the people that do nothing. Why should they work when they get more by sitting on their asses. Then the vote to give to criminals. Illegals are criminals yet they get Social Security that they never have paid anything into the system. We are supporting people in the form of foreign aid to 192 countries that hate us and want us gone.
These include China, Japan, the middle east and every other country you can think of. What is up with that?

What needs to happen is that the members of the House and Senate give up these perks. They also need to live within there own means and not accept any outside money at all. We need to see every American with decent jobs and better apppreciation for the people in there own districts more jobs and less taxes. We also need to bring in the spending measure. By putting across the board taxes on everyone and make things amongst the people and American public. The education system needs work on and decent hourly wage all across this country. This big CEO's are making the big bucks and the rest are not getting there fair share of the money in the wage earning department.

I am really fed up with these career politicians and their screwing of the people. All perks need to stop, health care needs to be like our and not ours like theirs(which will never happen). No government trip, they get 401k not pension and by the way they need to stop all federal, state and municipal union pensions also and convert to 401k. Heath care needs to be something you pay for yourself or through your employer, so stop this crap called obamacare. Worst thing they ever thought of. And now finally I will say it and get hell for it but it is time to push granny off the cliff and into her families arms. It is past time to end this socialist experiment call social security and medicare. It really should be called the social people will screw you and politicare is no one cares. Keep the money I have paid in but stop taking anymore from me. The government needs to be cast aside and a new one installed by the people as stated in the Constitution. This government is the oppressor now

It is our fault, period. We elect these bozos,and donot think twice. Term limits should have been in effect. No elected offical should be given a lifetime job of doing nothing. And by nothing I mean nothing. Perks should be earned. This is just plain CRAZY. Like I Said we deserve this cruel and inhumane treatment.

I just want to why in hell they get full social security. they don't even pay into it in the first place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why do they get the perks? They need to take cuts just the rest of the people. Besides, they are supposed to be working for US. How do they get to vote pay increases, etc. for themselves? It should be up to the public to give raises when they are deserved.

Its not democrat or republican anymore, its about the constitution. Its being ignored! Both sides are guilty, and for quite some time now. The founding fathers warned us what would happen as the power shifted to the federal level and away from the states. This is a perfect example. Sickening its gotten to this point.

I think thay should live like us because we work every day just to put money in there pocket you have to think there not spend its holding money that some one may need and work is hard for some one with tree kids to get jobs thay want and still need help step by stepwe sat there waiting for a good job to hit

Yes one other perk they voted to give their selfs was a 5% to 10% raise where ,the people on Social Security and Disability only got 1.2% . And most people on Social Security doe's not have a total Household Income of $ 23,000 .00 per year . And anything over $17,000 its hard for them to get any other kind of help from the Government or Medicadeor any kind of Social Services programs.It sucks being retired or Disabled.

Demand congress takes an immediate 25% cut in pay. This stays in place until they work together for the good of the country, instead of working for themselves, and implement a multi-year budget plan that significantly reduces our debt, and strengthens the country – Not weakens it.

Pass this around – can we get a million votes?

Publish this article in every newspaper in the US. Post it on every Internet news website. The Only way anything will change is to get these facts out to the public. This is a good start and would be timely to do it now.

interesting

It's ironic that the news papers and most Democrats like to go after CEOs of big business that get extravagant perks but don't say much about the waste of tax payer money that the congress spends for themselves. When Nancy Pelosi was speaker of the house she had nearly a half a million dollars worth of alcohol stocked on the speaker's jet, to "entertain" dignitaries and important people. All of this money came from the taxpayers and yet Pelosi is worth millions. Not to mention she racked in millions from the stimulus package to help out her personal business back home. The hypocrisy of government is amazing. We have career politicians who make millions of dollars off of the taxpayers while doing who knows what in congress. Charlie Rangel, having more than 40 years in Congress had 11 counts of ethics violations a couple of years back. These violations would have landed the average citizen in jail but Rangel was only censored, basically a slap on the hand. We are no longer a country of the people by the people for the people. We are a country of the gullible and easily swayed, by about 50% of those who can vote, for the rich and politicians. Don't kid yourselves on thinking one party is good and the other is bad. When it comes right down to it both parties are corrupt and only care about votes to get themselves back in office so they can make more money from the taxpayers and from big businesses who the politicians create legislation helping big business in return for "campaign contributions". If politicians really cared about the people they would take the examples of George Washington and Herbert Hoover. George Washington only served two terms, turned down the offer of king and advised against political parties so as not to divide the country (around 50% don't vote and in the last several elections the winner only received from around 50-54% a very even split of the country). Herbert Hoover donated his presidential salary to charity. Time for American people to wake up to what the politicians are doing, and stop acting like mindless sheep playing follow the leader.

JoePublic:

Lets just evaluate the fairness of the issue. Sure Congress only works 2.5 days a week in DC, then they come back to their home states and are supposed to participate locally. So lets assume Congress works 5 days a week. We should also recognize that governance is a full time job and I think a 5 day a week salary is okay. A reasonable salary, not a top 1% salary. Their office does accumulate expenses, so an expense budget should be included; but not an excessively large and unreasonable budget. The fairness comes in to play when average Joe Publics have to pay for all the extras congressmen don't pay for themselves out of their public salary. Extras like health care, physician preference, monies paid into retirement plans not out of their salary, that is if you can afford a retirement plan;

It is sad but true in America, Congressmen and women believe they are the entitled class and not "Servants of the People". Our elected officials need to be reminded everyday, they serve the People, the People do not serve them. They should live as the People live, not above the People . Congress should have to participate in the plans they make for the People. The rationale here is that if its such a good plan, why aren't the Congress people part of the plan. Really, the American People, you and me, should vote with a philosophy of " if your in office, you're not for me" , regardless of political party affiliation. Elected office should be 'one and done" and remove the special little perks Congress like s to give themselves. The USA does not have royalty, we are a country of the People.

Too many crooks in Washington

Each member of the House and Senate should be required by a type of lottery to review each spending program meeting certain criteria as to whether these programs are justified ( I bet we are still subsidizing buggy whips) and must be redone every10 years. Those programs that are no longer pertinent should be eliminated. Foreign Aide reviewed every two years and must be benefiting it's people, or it is cut off. There must be a yearly job review of all these law makers like most employees are require to undergo. The results of this review sent out to all the tax payers in their districts since we are their employers. The rating agency hired to do this should be replaced every five years. That is the only way we can get control of the problem in Washington.

They do nothing important to be compensated for.

I think all in office need a reality check as whats going on in the real world -they throw around the tax moeny collected and also borrowed like there is and endless supplie! stop the madness!!
Thanks

It must be stoped. It's total abuse of the power American people give to their representatives. The length of the service also should be limited, just like for President. It should NEVER become a life long career. That is why Senators and House Representative loose their touch with real life. !0-12 years of service is enough to be in one privilege position and after that they must become regular citesens.

Not only do I feel that they should lose those perks, they should also be required to live on Social Security benefits at retirement like the rest of us. I bet Social Security would get fixed rather quickly then.

It is time to run the lobbyists and politicians out of Washington DC. They only care about themselves, the next election and how to make themselves rich at our expense.
The politicians are the problem, have been the problem and continue to be the problem.
They make bad laws that they expect the citizens to live with and like. They created all the taxes and loop holes to benefit themselves and their contributors. They have forgotten why they went to Washington DC. All The politicians are out of control with their spending habits.
Isn't is funny they don't know how to attach a good amendment that stops their pork barrel spending onto one of their lucrative spending bills. They always know how to attach a spending amendment onto one of their bills and it always gets passed.
Disgusting politicians.

I agree, I am sick of politics. The government has left the middle class high and dry.Government officials are supposed to be elected BY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE. What happened? It is about time it is turned back to the people. I am unemployed, no health care. Apparently the only thing I am entitled to is food stamps on a month by month basis. I however am not entitled to any healthcare, even temporary from a system that I have paid into for over 40 years. THIS IS A DISGRACE.

It is so hard for me to comment on this without really getting angry since I find the U.S. economic condition and the government overspending outrageouously out of control. All of us American citizens should be ashamed of ourselves for allowing this to happen. YES, WE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN since this is a democracy remember??? We elect these crooks so now WE need to help them fix the mess.

GUNS! here they are trying to control our guns the law abiding citizen BUT they have a criminal in office that is SELLING GUNS to the enemy in the south and one of them is connected to a DEAD ICE AGENT but nothing happens to him! WHAT A JOKE OF A JUSTICE SYSTEM WE HAVE HERE UNDER THE OBUMA ADMINISTRATION!!!!!!!

And they are supposed to work for us? and we pay them? this is absurd!

Wouldn't it be nice to have congress working for the PEOPLE again instead of corporations.
I believe that if our elected officials were working for us then there wouldn't be ANY foreign aid unless ALL of our own citizens were taken care of, we certainly take care of them.
Third, keep your stinking greedy hands off of MY social security, that money belongs to the citizens, not you politicians, LEAVE IT ALONE. Dig into your retirement if you want to steal from someone.

Where is Congress in controlling our free spending White House?
The White House and its Administration "leaders" agendas are bankrupting our country and making a mockery of our existing laws. Our government has been borrowing inordinate amounts of money with no plan or ability to even pay back the interest – we can't even afford our existing debt. The Federal Reserve has been printing $85B paper dollars a month with their "quantitative easing", with no reserve assets. This has significant impacts and is eliminating the American dollar as the standard for international trading. Major countries (Russia, China, Japan, India, Saudi Arabia, etc.) are now trading in their own denominations, eliminating the US Dollar as the international trading standard, which is going to collapse our monetary system and our economy, and create major inflation on food, clothing, oil, loans – every commodity you buy. The USA will not be able to sell bonds or treasury notes, or get international low interest loans to prop up our economy. Our government (Congress) won't even develop a budget to pay the interest on all existing loans – they are mismanaging and manipulating our own currency, and our international creditors are very aware of this debacle. The White House keeps giving away American funds ,they don't have, to other countries, regardless if they are questionable "friends" of the state, i.e. Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Syria.
Our White House's lack of respect for / and bypassing existing laws is impacting our economic growth, potential prosperity and jobs by circumventing Congress and the regulatory processes. Examples include: making cabinet appointments when Congress is still in session, making regulations for hydraulic fracturing / ocean policies / global warming / networks neutrality / auto efficiency mandates / religious employment definitions / coal usage / new land programs. White House is bypassing laws such as waiving work requirements under Welfare, contraception mandates for religious employers, expansion of refundable tax credits, Medicare Solvency requirements and medical loss ratios, rewriting bankruptcy laws, failing to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, Dream Act deferred action, amnesty for illegal emigrants, executing executive privileges to protect the Attorney General for illegal guns sales internationally. New programs are being created by the White House not authorized or approved by Congress, such as a Healthcare Independent Payment Advisory Board, or a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. They continue delaying projects which impact domestic jobs and the general economy, such as the Canadian Shale oil pipeline construction. The EPA is out of control by issuing legal mandates without any authority.
There is no excuse for this continuous abuse of legislative authority not granted by our Constitution, as a President has no authorized power to make laws. Congress currently legislates and gives themselves automatic annual raises and separate retirement and health plans coverage, yet can't even generate a viable budget.
If Congress can't administrate existing laws and cannot control the White House through legislative powers and the legal system, then we need to replace every one of them!

If not that, then all members of Congress should be paid in Confederate currency.

What a tragedy, greed,deception,corruption,have pretty much destroyed the american dream, United we Stand, divided we fall

Our Constitution does not detail such an extravagant life for our politicians. They are not above the people, they are of the people. They are supposed to represent the people, and clearly through all of the extravagance added onto the lush salaries above, it could be no clearer that we have a political atrocity that must stop. While they have used welfare and taxation to dumb down the public, they have propped themselves up to live a life that all of us could only dream of having. They align themselves with the majority who hold most of the money and companies doing business in America so that the average hardworking person has no say.

What is really sickening is if you look at this in the long term it was planned. Why do you push food stamps and subsidized housing? So you can make people complacent, and so you can keep them from going to school and moving up in the world where they would question your actions.

Why do you make student loans with an extraordinary interest, so people fail and are stuck working two jobs to pay them. Then the same people have no time to follow your dirty deeds. Why is a much larger percentage of the population kept out of college because colleges are doling out scholarships to foreigners? Because those who control the money in America see they can hire this same foreigner for less money than an American. Thus preventing another American from achieving their highest potential.

Why has the cost of living tripled yet minimum wage never rises to a point that people can afford the basics, so ultimately they qualify for food stamps, but not Medicaid? Because those dependent on a handout are not going to rock the boat and question or rail against the hand that feeds them. The lack of access to basic healthcare results in premature death, and preventable long term consequences as a result of disease and illness. If they kill off the inferior class they use that same amount of money to make someone else shut up and fall in line. What we don't realize is over time there will be fewer people with access to basics like housing, childcare, education, and food because they have been used to manipulate the economy in such a way that either you have or you don't have. Those who don't have will eventually succumb.

We have been lied to for so long by our government, and the deficit is proof of that. The benefits stated above are only a small part of that deception. You do not write about all that money they are given for housing, satellite offices and personnel, supplies, and trips or so called conventions within other government organizations. You do not address the government organizations that are set up to do jobs, but pass the work around to a hundred others that all pass it to someone else. They are agencies that do nothing and get paid. I have personal experience on this level. Of all of the agencies set up to help traumatic brain injury patients only one sent an information packet. Then when you use the information packet and start calling you get passed around from one to another, back and forth and nothing gets done. Over 27 such agencies and none do what the other says, and they just pass you back and forth between soap operas or card games.

What is going to happen when you are middle class which is the new low income and they put the healthcare mandate on you? It isn't that I wouldn't love a good healthcare plan. It is that they did not fix it when you see that the insurance companies are planning to raise the premiums because they know the government is going to be paying for some of it. They try to say it is because they are going to be offering more. But in fact they are replacing what they took away in the last two years and calling it more. What they needed to do was call it a monopoly. That is what insurance has become. You call around and they are all offering the same benefits for the same amount of money based on tiers. But it is the same all the way across the board. That is a monopoly folks! Why doesn't our government call it that? Because those same companies contribute to their campaigns or political parties, thats why.

I think that all of the states should secede the union. I think that all of the people should pay into the state for support of their local infrastructure, police departments, education, fire fighters, and such. I think we should do business within our own states, and trade with other states for goods not available within our own state. We should have a set of laws that are dictated by those within our state, and some that are national but imposed at the state level. I think that we should grow our local economies and stop importing anything from China. We should make our goods and services locally and practice trade locally and on a statewide level. We should totally disband Washington D.C. There may be a President and a representative from each state but they should not be the determiners of taxation, assistance, education, or anything else outside of the military who would be in charge of protecting our people and our soil. This representative of each state would be tasked with voting on important things like protecting our people with the military, representing our interest in foreign countries, and representing our country. The military could take on the FBI and the CIA. We would pay into this after being presented a detailed budget and given a vote. If we became responsible for ourselves, and were actually allowed to create our own companies on a local level for basic needs like food, energy, and commerce there would be less wear and tear on the interstate system. If housing were designed to be efficient instead of built like urban sprawl, there would be more green space, less CO2, more conservation, healthier people due to less processed food and walking to work and the store. People don't need humungous homes. They need enough space to live comfortably, and they need to exchange as that home becomes to big or more than they can handle. Then you stop the tearing down, overuse, and degradation of resources that are part of the balancing act with our climate. Fresh food packaged in paper or reusable cloth sacs does not add to the landfill in a manner that cannot be broken down. The lack of preservatives and insecticide will probably lead to healthier people, less incidence of cancer, and less incidence of things like Autism, MS, and a host of other ailments that affect us now. Think about it, did you read about a great deal of this before additives? No. I actually worked at a place that kept death records from the 1850's to 1959. Most people died from the flu, pneumonia, polio, and things we inoculate people for. You did not have a bunch of crazies out there doing crazy things. There were some death certificates that said died from insanity but the were few and far between. And most often those death certificate noted lesions and sores. So it is questionable if gonorrhea and syphilis had a role in this. Give most of the control back to the states and the people and you will see less welfare. People who live together in local economies, who are dependent on their own success for survival tend to pick each other up and show each other the way. It is a classless system so to speak because no one is above the other and everyone depends on each other to make it work. So you take the dumbed down from the government and teach them self sufficiency.

Last but most important, you make families responsible for their children having children, no the local people. It won't occur if you have local communities working together for the common good. Each would look after each other. No more two parents working. This has eroded the marriage and children. Local economies make for better incomes. Less federal taxation makes for better local and state economies. We had a better nation with less government, and now we have an endangered nation with more government, more abuse and misuse by the government, and less control or ability control our own ability to work, educate ourselves, or hold onto that which we have purchased through hard work or saved.

We need to rethink Democracy as our forefathers defined it because they clearly did not see that the governing body could be so deceitful. They did not see them led around by a dog collar with a dollar bill dangled in front of their snout.

Congress personnel should be made to live like us NORMAL average AMERICAN citizens since that is what they are to. They are no BETTER than the rest of us. Only difference is they were voted in UNDER the assumption that they would HELP AMERICANS not HELP THEMSELVES!!! Furthermore, its cause of their STUPIDITY that has us in some very bad situations with money. Make them pay for their own membership, parking, gyms, food, retirement plans, 401k and all the other things that I HAVE TO PAY with MY OWN MONEY. Bunch of no good free loaders is all they are. And then they want to control our money when they probably don't know how to make their own.

I and my friends and family see what is going on in washington and we think it is DISGUSTING. It is LONG overdue that their practices stop now!! I talk to people from all walks of life and from all over the country and they ALL say they are fedup with congress and most governments, state & federal. The biggest problem is we the people can't do anything about it. How can we change things for the good of the people? With one vote? It doesn't work, neither do telephone calls.They have all screwed us and have done a tremendous disservice to america. They have enriched themselves at our expense. They are supposed to be working for us, however it has turned out that we are working for them. I hope I never see it, I see america seething inside, my gut tells me that sooner or later the people are going to vote for the real bad guy ,then watch things explode. Unfortunately thats probably the only way that things will get straightened out in this country. Our leadership and common sense are missing. The people that have contributed to this country and worked the hardest got screwed the most !!

HEY, YOU GOT A POOR BOY FROM CHICAGO WHO WONDERED INTO THE LARGEST CANDY STORE IN THE UNIVERSE, WHAT'D YOU EXSPECT???????

I am a senior citizen who worked all my life for retirement. I cannot afford to buy my medicines, food is getting harder and harder to buy and these people live like royalty. I am so fed up with congress if there was a way to cut all their benefits and pay I would be the first in line to take my share of what they have taken from me. These people are the most corrupt people we have in the US and there is nothing we can do to stop them. There are too many people who don't see what they are doing and will vote only because of the D or R after their names.

Ken Senner and Wylie are spot on. We the people have allowed this to happen and now we are reaping the benefits. How's does it taste? The "as long as it does not affect me I'm not worried about it" attitude just hasn't worked out has it? United we stand, the forgotten words. Meanwhile, the punkasses in Washington have brought this great country and its citizens to its knees and all we can do is fight over the scraps and bullshit that they are feeding us. You don't think they're not laughing their asses off at everyone of us and somehow get re-elected back into office. I'm sorry, but if you voted for obama's 2nd term, because he did such a great job the first 4 years, you are a complete fucking moron and should be bitch slapped. He should be in prison for treason. All this crap that's going on is by design, to include disarming of america, devalue of the dollar, tax hikes, etc, etc, etc. The list goes on and on and on. Gun control, well why don't he start by going back to the southside of Chicago and disarming all the gangbangers. Start with Eric holder, on why he gave the cartel 2000 "assault weapons" that have been tracked to many murders. Why is he not in prison? Gotta love the selective judicial system here in america. Oh by the way, you can be assaulted with a frying pan but no one's picketing Rachel Ray. Before anyone starts bashing me for hurting your feelings, shut the fuck up. Only takes 38 state governments to request a new continental congress. We the people need to wake the fuck up! Good talk, see you when I see you.

Its the most discusting thing that could happen to a nation that started off right and is ending up fryed after the servants became the masters of themselves and the people became fodder for the benifit of those few who have seperated Washington into another country like the vatican in Rome…Washington has their own standing army and soon they will turn on the American people make no mistake about that…..this gun issue is all about that …once they disarm us they will become emboldened toward the rights of the public and their right to be heard…..we have little to no representation in the congress and senate now with things becoming much worst …much sooner than we all realize..RCB

This is the way it happened, classic example.
Back in the sixties I joined the United States Army because they promised if I faithfully served for 20+ years my medical, dental etc., would be free upon retirement at 20 years.
Guess what. I am retired at 20+ years and there is nothing free about it. Have to pay into TriCare for Life and it is getting worse all the time. Now the government is trying to take this one benefit, if you will, away from Veterans. That is one way to make sure they will get every penny of Social Security that I earned and paid into all these years and am still paying at age 70.
Yes, I believe all government officials, as they call them selves, should have to live by the same standards and rules they make for the working public. They are supposed to be running this country but it sounds more like riding the GRAVY TRAIN. They don't go to work to solve anything, they go to work to argue with each other and don't even think about getting anything serious taken care of.
Wish I could find such a lucrative job where everything is free. The best part is when they get out of office the benefits keep right on going. If they really want to serve the public then get the fuel prices down where they should be, can't do that because they would lose huge kickbacks and don't tell me big oil doesn't talk. During the cold months my thermostat sits on 60 degrees and it still takes one weeks pay out of every month to heat our house, this is really sad.
Kind of got off subject here but this is how their freelancing affects every ones way of living.
I pray that all this chitter chatter brings some good. No matter how hard people try to get things changed it will never happen until some one with a big enough pair and has the power to be heard. Come on people, let's quit kicking a dead horse and if YOU, know some one that could help get the ball rolling please do so.

It's about time that we, the American public, demand that members of Congress no longer get the excessive perks and benefits that they receive for simply being our representatives. Yes, they theoretically work on our behalf, but it is increasingly clear that many are acting on their own behalf, to enrich themselves and their financial supporters. Of course, their lifetime financial benefits are never mentioned in media news reports or discussions about the U.S. debt crisis. If Congress is really concerned about the debt, they would look to cut their own benefits and not the meager benefits that citizens receive from Social Security and Medicare, which are paid for by the citizens themselves and their employers. It's time we stop Congressional Welfare!

you left out the best perk eliminator-term limits! they may serve two terms and their out and out go the benefits,that they self voted!!

These People are a buncha Sociopathic Fat Cats.
The inmates are, and have been running the Asylum.

Congress needs to feel some of the pressures normal ever day people do and the only way is to hit their wallets like ours are they live in a bubble that protects them and makes them part of the wealthier people in the U.S.. I wonder how many of them are taking their money to other countries.

Every time Congress limits one of our freedoms or lays another mandate on us they exclude themselves. Every time they give themselves a perk they exclude us. These actions make Congress an arrogant bunch of liars and thieves. Go to a regular gas station and buy your own lunch. That gas station, are you still paying $0.25 per gallon?

i think all of them are full of crap. so start with an ex -lax and flush them all. they have got above there raising and we the poor chose to put who in there. i feel as far as for bev perdue. she is a money hungry women. she raised taxes on all tobacco products but did not do nothing against beer and liquor. she must drink it alot. people in congress forget there are more people killed by drunk drivers than cigarettes. and the president sets up there with his health reform i say it is a crock of sh**. demanding health care. well mr president u demand it u pay for it . quit penalizing the poor american people who pay your salary. and for the wars in the middle east get our people out. let them kill there nations out and then we do not have to worry if we have to help fight the wars. yes this nation is blessed Barack Obama get use to it. but this nations has had enough. time we do what god said CHARITY STARTS AT HOME. IF U DO NOT KNOW OR UNDERSTAND THIS U CAN CONTACT ME PERSONALLY AND I WILL EXPLAIN IT TO U . SO ALL U DEM, REPUBLICANS, AND THE SO CALLED PRESIDENT, U GET WHAT U SOW. HAVE A GOOD DAY .

We are taught in school about all the atrocities and injustices that "other" regimes and governments have committed throughout history to the present day. All the while our attention is drawn away from the Orwellian nightmare our world has become. All animals are created equal, it's just that some are more equal than others.

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling … "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that any time there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election."

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months and 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971 – before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land all because of public pressure. Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

Congressional Reform Act of 2013

1. No Tenure/No Pension

A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately.
All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.

Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system
and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 06/01/2013.

The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.

The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s),
then go home and back to work.

They should remove all Secret Service coverage as soon as the President leaves office; ground Air Force except for OFFICIAL business; and have term limits.

So I read this "article". Basically you say that congressmen and women should live like everyone else, except you leave out a number of things. 1. Congresspersons have to be re-elected and serve 6 terms to qualify for a retirement under FERS. Senators have to serve 2 terms. A total of 12 years to be vested in the retirement. 2. Congresspersons need a staff do you really think they should pay for that themselves? 3. Of course they get travel perks–they have to spend time in their districts (that's why they have two homes). You talk a lot about people not getting pensions, well my brother works in manufacturing and they still give pensions to workers. there is a reason for that, skilled labor is necessary to keep companies profitable since they are not paid a lot they are given pensions to encourage them to stay. 401Ks are for highly paid managers who frequently move between companies this allows them to take their retirement with them. Everyone who pays into social security is entitle to receive it, whether you like that or not. All congresspersons are on FERS so they have to contribute to social security. Congresspersons earn a pension at 1.7% time the average of their highest three years times 20. For every year past 20 the pension is earned at 1% per year. There is nothing extravagant going on here. I wonder if the author is deliberately trying to stir up trouble that doesn't need to be there. You want to point fingers–the thieves on wall street could sure use some jail time for what they have done and continue to do to middle class Americans.

These are the same people that accuse the 47% of voting for entitlements for themselves.

Hubris on a grand scale.

Ive said it before and here it is again: TERM FRIGGIN LIMITS!!!!!!!!

Most of them are crooks without a mask. They have no morals and they are trying to destroy the Constitution. They forgot their oath. They are buying a seat in HELL. ISAIAH 10 " WOE TO UNJUST JUDGES AND TO THOSE WHO ISSUE UNFAIR LAWS".

I was forced into early retirement because the firm I was employed by downsized. That was a year-and-a-half ago. I'm now full retirement age. I had no 401(k) or savings because I could never afford either, so I'm now living on about $30K less a year than when I was working. When I think of all the taxpayer dollars those slobs in D.C. and in state offices throw around it makes me sick. I am, by the way, a second class citizen who has never reaped the benefits I deserve from the taxes I've paid since age 14. I wish I could have every cent of taxes back that I've paid into the feds & states. Those do-nothing jerks in D.C. don't deserve even half of what they earn, especially not the perks. I'm so fed up with all of them I could choke. If they took away all their perks I do believe we would have people running for office who really love this country and would be far more responsible. They shouldn't have any more vacation days than the rest of us. Disgusting.

They pass laws, that we have to live by, then live like kings and queens on our $$$$. Isn't it about time the REVOLUTION starts. Vote them all out and start over with some common sense..

Ever since I became aware of what OUR employees were doing to their bosses(US), I have only been able to see RED! Also, I KNOW they are over paid for a part-time job, one that most of them can't get right anyway!

I think the board should be cleared in Government and we as tax payers should vote on any perks, salaries, health care, etc….the Politicians get. They love passing laws on us and sucking the life out of us. Lets turn the tables.

What makes this bunch in congress so much more special than the American Tax payers who work daily, Make the congressmen s staff pay Taxes just like the rest of us, and take away the perks, work a 40 hour work week with two weeks vacation should be enough for anyone…….

With the nationalization of the Senate through the 17th Amendment one of the bulwarks of federalism was eliminated, since that time both Senators and Representatives have been effectively transformed into federal government employees who now have a vested interest in continuing the furtherance of government power rather than what is in the best interest of the People. They control the power of the vote through controling the power of the government purse and intentionally use that power to create a patronage system, both with voters and large corporate as well as banking interests.

Repealing the 17th Amendment, placing the power back into the hands of the State Legislatures, while not perfect, can be no worse than the monstrocity we currently suffer under. Also, Congress should be prohibited from managing their own wages and benefits, that responsibility should be determined by the individual States, each setting wages, benefits and any pay increases for their respective Senators and Representatives.

All laws passed by Congress should equally applied and Congress should be prohibited from any distinction at law between members of Congress and the People! The Democrats and Republicans alike, all nothing more than two faces of the same corrupt coin, debased and essentially worthless now, the Country woulf be better off telling this illegitimate goverment that they may legislate all they want within the Ten Square Mile District, but, as it should, Let the Free, Sovereign and Independent State Republics govern themselves as noted by the Constitutional Compact between the States. The federal government is the creation of the States and is merely a deputized agent of the States, the States created this federal government and it is, though not currently apparent in the minds of the People, dependent upon the will of the States. The creator cand destroy its creation.

I would like to see them change the law that they have to abide by any and every law they pass for the average American to live by. But, when you control the gold you control the rules. They are to greedy and interested in tending to their special interest group's needs to worry about us.

These civil servants are the royalty of our freedom loving, rich abiding nation. They are the kings and queens of democracy, sacrificing the taxes of the people to support their royal lifestyles. They are like hawks. They fly above the rest of us and we never see their backs.

Where are the poll results not on this page

Who the hell gave them all these perks ?They are not suspost to have anything the people don't have ,this is a law that is being broke daily. It should be removed and repaid or go to jail !!!!!!!!!! Why are they better than any of us ; we the people !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Limit them to one term…. no benefits after they leave. Most are millionaires anyway, they don't need the perks. They are just in the job for the power. No retirement either. They should use their personal millions to fund their own after life. We pay enough for them while they are in office. Apparently they don't care about us.

when being a politican became a career choice , thats the moment citizens were in trouble.

The head of the SEC , when interveiwed, about the need for a New Law on Insider Trading, making it illegal for members of Congress as well. His response was, " That there is already a law, on the books, that makes it illegal.
And that it has been illegal. "

If Congress had to live within the same laws and bills they pass, they might think differently about the consequences of their actions. Who can challenge them when they vote themselves raises and other benefits? Who holds them accountable between elections? Is our only recourse to act on their inexcusable behavior and disregard for their constituents to vote them out when their term is over?

while the fat cats in washinton live like royalty I can't even find a job. I work in construction and have lost almost everything I have worked for because of their NO jobs policy. I have exhausted my unemployment and I for some reason don't qualify for welfare even though I have NO income and am shamefully having to live off of my parents. I can't afford to go to school and be re-trained for another occupation and would like to know how to become a Senator so I can try to change things in Washington starting with DEEP pay cuts and taking away all the perks thery have voted for themselves to have on our backs as well as no lifetime pension or lifetime Cadilac medical bennifits.

Several times I was able to watch C-SPAN and for four years in a row Congress has voted against raising the Minimum Wage Law and then turn right around and vote themselves a raise –
they need a raise and the American people don't ? Last week Congress wanted to Exempt themselves and their aides from ObamaCare – like people on $30,000 a year can afford it and those making $174,000 a year can't ?

We need real reform, but will we ever see it?

I have always wondered why we have a system where folks spend millions to get a job that pays 100k a year? Obviously, there are other "perks" both legal and illegal that is the real goal of the candidate.

My suggestion to fix this is that we should make a representative earn the same as what he/she was earning before being elected with raises tied to the cost of living – not to their voting. They should only receive reimbursment for things related to their constituency…no free trips to overseas or wherever – they should fly the same lousy commerical flights we all suffer through. Campaign spending should be eliminated or severely limited. All monies spent and received in campaigns should be publicly disclosed or publicly provided. All commercials and advertisements should be limited so that both sides are given exactly the same amount of time.

Once elected, they should rely on Social Security – just like the rest of us – the same for health care. The biggest though, TERM LIMITS…no one should serve more then 2 terms – just like the president….that way they remain focused on what is their job….these career politicians have no idea of what is really going on in their district….they need to live the same life and come from the same life as who they represent.

I could go on with my wishlist, but what's the use….these creeps will continue to rip off the public until long after I am gone. It is just too bad that our system – which was designed to depose an uncaring monarchy, has somehow ended up replacing that monarchy with a bunch of privileged bureacratic toerags. Sad…very sad.

Need to do away with political parties and have some common ordinary people with some common sense running the country. They couldn't do any worse that what we have now.
I am getting sick of the politician in Washington deciding what best for me when it doesn't even appy to them.

The SOB's should not get any more benefits than the average worker/citizen of the USA !!

they always say the people they represent. I say let them earn the average wage of said people. for than they would truly represent those people.

I believe the only way we can get them out is a voter revolution. Elect new people and if they don't give us a choice write someone in.The TEA PARTY is not the way its just a guise set up by them to keep us divided , a way for them to sway an election in their favor. We need some kind of independent media voice that is not on they're propaganda list,a voice that will speak honestly about both sides and not one sided bullshit like Rush Limbaugh shits out. We need a true voice of the people to put these crooks on public display expose them for what they are and what they're doing.We the people need to unite like we did against the vietnam war,let them hear our voice.
Tell them to bring back the two year term like it is written in the constitution, Congress shall pass no law that benefits them over the people,but yet they do it and we let them. Now they're bering down on us with the IRS,threatening to take away our second amendment rights next it will be our first amendment rights. they want you defenseless,and with no voice,and if we the people don't unite in an intelligent and civil way they will get the supreme control they are seeking. Hell we are already the serfs and they are the lords. WAKE UP AMERICA!!!

Too many triple standards: The politicians, the rich, but not the rest of us can do it. No wonder why corruption is out of control and the 98% of Americans are getting poorer! Feh!

they're all scammers!

Public Service should not mean serviced by the public!!!

I think we have really lost sight of what has happened. They get a full paycheck, not only the perks, for working 140 days a year in Washington. It really is time to send them home and make them telecommute. According to the Constitution, they are only required to meet once a year, that date has been moved from December to January. So let them meet in January in Washington, get their meetings out of the way. Let NSA, (chuckle) set up their home offices for telecommuting, and make them stay home and deal with their Constituents. They have lost fact that WE are the ones paying their bills, not the Printed Money from the Treasury.
Much like the ACA, or Obamacare, Everyone thinks that its a great thing. The Idea is sound, and I do agree that something had to be done. BUT, the methods that are being used, Pelosi saying just sign the bill, you can read it later. Or the fact that as the timeline gets closer, Oct 1, Unions and health care providers are dropping out the these "EXCHANGES". Now dont get me wrong, It is necessary for everyone to have health care, BUT why havent they actually explained to the people where the "GRANTS" funding is going to come from. Guess what ladies and gentlemen, Politicians and the Wealthy dont have to buy into the EXCHANGES, so the extra FUNDING will come from, dare I say it, EXTRA TAXES!!!! So guess what everyone, there is no such thing as a free ride, unless you are a POLITICIAN

It is also time for term limits. Our founding fathers never intended these positions to be for career politicians.

Read all these posts slamming each other….just what the current parties want. If we are all infighting against which party is doing more damage to our Country we are missing the goal. Get rid of all the bums.

What is also missing in these posts: Why do they continue to be re-elected? Because they have been giving handouts to the less fortunate of our citizens in exchange for their votes.

Just wait till Hillary hits the trail for the 2016 race, you will then see a massive give away program and she will win by hook or crook.

There is only one thing I have to look forward to…age and health are going to get me first but I will pray for the rest of you that will have to endure the trails and tribulations of a government gone amuck.

We should stop with them!! Everyone should be involved all the way up to the President. $100k is the max they should make. No flying first class. The average perdium should apply. All the trips, vacations, and extra spending needs to stop.

I agree voting them all out is the answer and possibly shorter terms… However, to vote them out we need a candidate that is not chosen by them… Each election cycle their scouts seek out candidates to follow in their footsteps. Republican and Democrats are alike as far as their smoke and mirror games along with their greed. I am afraid too that it is too late.

yes they should live like the rest of us..

You say you want a revolution
Well you know
We all want to change the world

We need a revolution. That's the only way things will ever change. The storybook America is long dead. We're living at the dawn of a burgeoning fascist regime, one that will inevitably collapse, just like the Roman Empire. The public is brainwashed, dumbed down and plugged into reality tv, twitter, celebrity worship and Fox 5 /Entertainment Weekly's idea of "what's really happening in the world." Beyonce Nation. People are completely numb, sleep walking in denial, taking whatever this lousy government throws at them with a smile, questioning nothing while big brother strangle holds a new liberty every day. We are just about living in Orwell's "1984". After-all, are we or are we not at war with Eurasia?

Well we all know that they are over paid.. over compensated,,, But what about the criminal acts,,,

1. by AIDING AND ABETTING ILLEGALS IN THIS COUNTRY…
2, by not passing a budget in the senate in 4 years…. how do you keep tract of the spending if you do not have one,,,, Is that like stealing? I do believe the law requires a budget,,,
3. not to mention the spying they they all support,,, and do not give me this bullshit national security crap…
4. better watch the big o,, as he may sign the U N TREATY, that gives them the right to take your guns ,,,
5, Putting the crooked IRS, IN CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH CARE,,,
6, Secret courts,,, what is that all about?

Really people we had better get our heads out of our asses and take our country back before it is too damn late….

My Senators office hung up on me. Senator Barbara Mikulski.

They are NOT Elite but they ARE Elitists. They vote themselves raises every year but won't raise the minimum wage or employee's raises by the same amount every year. They take paid vacations, trips and throw luxury meetings any time they feel the need but won't force employers to give benefits to part time employees which in turn forces most employers now to only take on employees part time. Even part time employees HAVE to pay the taxes that the politicians squander. The kickbacks they receive are not spread among the working class OR used to lower taxes but are horded for themselves. The people are NOT in power because the people DO NOT use that power as they should. The people are afraid of government and it should be the other way around. In order for the people to be in power the people would have to stand up for what is right and SHOW that power but I don't see that happening any time soon. Sad. I believe the politicians should be held accountable and most of them should be brought up on charges of "TREASON AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE". If this were to happen, less corruption would follow. The people talk but will not act.

You vote for the very Best for yourselves, with my money and leave me out? You are all scum and it will show that we know this in the next election! Scum you are!!

Every single one of them needs to be impeached !!!!!!!!!!! Obama first ! Biden 2nd, Pelosi, Feinstein and Ried tied for 3rd, then the rest of them. Clean house !!!!!!!!!!!! THey are all corrupt, no more lawyers in DC ! Let the blue collar people take over !

i did not read…the yes or no question…properly… so i voted wrong… so there is one NO..that should not be included…
YES the perk should be eliminated… these people should be paid stipends and no salaries…

Make all jobs in congress $50,000.00 a year like the rest of us. then furlough those ass holes and then see what happens. If I quit or get canned my check stops. WHY DONT THERES???
OUR CONGRESS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN THIEFS… THEY ALL SUCK…

ITS SO SAD WHEN YOU HERE SOMEONE SAY I VOTED FOR THE LESSER OF THE TWO EVILS…

THIS COUNTRY IS GOING TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS CONGRESS!!!

I want to know how Pelosi is still around the house? To my understanding she was not relected the last term. Anyone know anything about this?
Thank You

Politicians make legal for themselves what is ILLEAGAL for the American people.They are the parasites of America,in the highest form,right up there with the welfare cheats.
ALL of them has violated the 28th Amendment.And,as long as they make the rules,nothing is going to change.

They should be required to live like my husband and I, and many of our friends do. Less than $700. per mo. disability with no food stamps or other gov't perks.

Add this reform along with Term Limits and we could actually start to get out Once Great country back!.

It seems that everyone in our Government from the president on down think they are better than the rest of the people in America. When are you going to realize that you work for us, not yourselves. You get involved when you shouldn't and you don't get involved when you should. You enact laws and taxes that you exempt yourselves from which is one form of tyranny. Any law or tax that you exempt yourself from should be thrown out. If it's good enough for the rest of us Americans then it's good enough for you too. If you vote yourself a raise or pay for life then every American should receive the same. Now to me any law or tax that you exempt yourselves from or goes against the United States Constitution is not a law at all and I will do every thing I can to not have to obey it. You are not the rulers of this Country, We The People are and when it's time to vote I will remember what you have done to ruin this Country. Norman J. Dvorak, Brenham, Texas

Pelosi committed treason by saying Obama was born in U.S.? Some people are totally nuts! Are they just that stupid or just that racist?

It is your outlook in how we conduct our actions often changes our viewpoint. Sometimes this alteration is good and sometimes this alteration is bad but it is our paradigm that controls the way we feel.