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It is not only the members of Congress salaries that are ridiculous, look at the staff salaries. In some cases close to a million per year for staff. Who pays staff salaries, and how are they determined?

We need an Equity Tax on those with a net worth of more than $20 million. Afterwhich, we need to go to a consumption tax (natinoal sales tax)and get away from the silly income tax system. Also, the payroll tax is backwards.. their should be no tax on the first $25k and the upper limit removed. It makes no sense to have an upper limit.

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 anytime 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 & 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 2011*_ 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

LD - Don't be calling someone ignorant when you don't know the facts. Reported by New York Times on 10/29/1988, "The Government today reported that the budget deficit for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 rose by $5.4 billion from the year before, reaching $155.1 billion. The widening of the deficit, after a steep decline the year before, defied the Reagan Administration's assurances early this year of ever-diminishing deficits. Last February it forecast a slim drop for the 1988 fiscal year, to $146.7 billion." Where was the surplus?

Even in the best of times, public service should not be for personal gain. The U.S. needs to be a model for shared prosperity where workers can increase their living standards through increased earnings. I read that Congress is required by Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution to determine its own pay. The salaries of members of Congress and leadership, have far surpassed salaries of the private sector. Is it unfathomable that Public Service employees are allowed to pat themselves on the backs and give themselves such raises over time, that are paid by the taxpayers of this country. Oh but they haven't given themselves any raises since 2009. Why don't they take 10% salary cuts, pay a monthly premium toward their medical care and pay into their own 401k plans also. Oh but wait a minute, this is all taxpayer money isn't it. Again, EVEN IN THE BEST OF TIMES, PUBLICE SERVICE SHOULD NOT BE FOR PERSONAL GAIN.

Will the minority of the house continue to have access to a private plane at the cost of the American tax payers????

VOTE THEM OUT..VOTE THEM OUT...Yours is no better than mine, they are all the same. If they have been in 5 years or more vote them out. They will never vote for term limits. I could list the crooked stuff all day and never get to all of their tricks. Remember, they are there every day while we are at work, etc. Since we can't trust them to represent US VOTE THEM OUT...DEMS REPUBS INS DONT'T MATTER they are all in it together.

LT I see you are one of the ignorant people, Reagan left a surplus, in other words there was money in the bank when he left office. No deficit. The only thing Clinton will be remembered for is his after hours activities.

i think a reduction in salaries for all members of congress, state, federal is in order. we can certainly put that money to better use than paying congress. $174,000 - i don't think the average joe makes anywhere near that. i think congress should be paid the same as teachers. then we would get people that really cared about the government.

You may have read that Members of Congress do not pay into Social Security. Well, that's a myth. Prior to 1984, neither Members of Congress nor any other federal civil service employee paid Social Security taxes. Of course, the were also not eligible to receive Social Security benefits. Members of Congress and other federal employees were instead covered by a separate pension plan called the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The 1983 amendments to the Social Security Act required federal employees first hired after 1983 to participate in Social Security. These amendments also required all Members of Congress to participate in Social Security as of January 1, 1984, regardless of when they first entered Congress. Because the CSRS was not designed to coordinate with Social Security, Congress directed the development of a new retirement plan for federal workers. The result was the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986. Members of Congress receive retirement and health benefits under the same plans available to other federal employees. They become vested after five years of full participation. Members elected since 1984 are covered by the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). Those elected prior to 1984 were covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). In 1984 all members were given the option of remaining with CSRS or switching to FERS. As it is for all other federal employees, congressional retirement is funded through taxes and the participants' contributions. Members of Congress under FERS contribute 1.3 percent of their salary into the FERS retirement plan and pay 6.2 percent of their salary in Social Security taxes. Members of Congress are not eligible for a pension until they reach the age of 50, but only if they've completed 20 years of service. Members are eligible at any age after completing 25 years of service or after they reach the age of 62. Please also note that Members of Congress have to serve at least 5 years to even receive a pension. The amount of

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