Salary and Privileges
All Members of Congress
*The base salary for a member of Congress is $174,000.
*Congress basically sets their own salaries
*They are allowed a deduction of up to $3,000 in their taxes for their expenses while outside their home states or districts.
*They are eligible for an immediate, full pension at age 62 if they have served for five years or more. They are eligible for this pension at age 50 if they have served for twenty years, and they are eligible at any time after they have served for twenty-five years.
*Members have an office both on Capitol Hill and in their home district or state.
*They can open any number of offices in federal buildings in their home state or district.
*They have some immunity from arrest when Congress is in session
House
*Representatives are allowed to spend more than $900,000 on salaries for up to 18 permanent employees
Senate
*They get a big allowance for office expenses; in 2010, the average amount spent was more than $3.3 million.
*Every senator gets at least $40,000 to purchase furniture for their office in their home state.
*On average, the Senate works for about three days a week on Capitol Hill.
*The base salary for a member of Congress is $174,000.
*Congress basically sets their own salaries
*They are allowed a deduction of up to $3,000 in their taxes for their expenses while outside their home states or districts.
*They are eligible for an immediate, full pension at age 62 if they have served for five years or more. They are eligible for this pension at age 50 if they have served for twenty years, and they are eligible at any time after they have served for twenty-five years.
*Members have an office both on Capitol Hill and in their home district or state.
*They can open any number of offices in federal buildings in their home state or district.
*They have some immunity from arrest when Congress is in session
House
*Representatives are allowed to spend more than $900,000 on salaries for up to 18 permanent employees
Senate
*They get a big allowance for office expenses; in 2010, the average amount spent was more than $3.3 million.
*Every senator gets at least $40,000 to purchase furniture for their office in their home state.
*On average, the Senate works for about three days a week on Capitol Hill.
This information was obtained from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/29/benefits-members-congress-shabby/