Congress could better attract and retain talented staff if only offices were allotted a bigger budget — so goes the oft-repeated theory. But representatives are already spending the smallest proportion of their budgets in years, leaving the average office with hundreds of thousands of dollars a year that could have gone to hiring and wage increases.
The average representative spent less than 39 percent her or his member repesentational allowance in the first half of the year, according to figures compiled by LegiStorm. That number has decreased every year since at least 2018, when members had spent 41.5 percent of their budgets in the same time period.
If members continue their current pace, the average office will end the year more than $336,000 under budget — money that could be directed toward staffer pay.
Congress saving on unused funds may be good news for taxpayers. But staffers continue to cite low pay, especially for entry-level positions, as a deterrant to working on the Hill.
A month ago, the House raised the maximum allowable staffer salary from $173,900 to $199,300. But most staffer salaries are nowhere near the cap. The average GOP House aide now makes $54,600 per year, while her or his Democratic counterpart brings home $56,500. Staff assistants, one of the Hill's lowest-paid titles, have a median pay of $38,106.
