Millionaire Georgia Republican Says His $172,000 Salary Isn’t Enough For 126 Days Of Work

Author: Stephen D. Foster Jr. September 19, 2013 2:21 pm


Americans are struggling. As most Americans are fighting day after day to survive, the wealthy in this county have prospered, and that’s an understatement. The wealthy have fully recovered from the recession and have increased their wealth. No wealthy person has a right to complain about how much money they are making compared to everyone else, especially if those wealthy people are also politicians.
How many ordinary Americans would complain about a job that pays $172,000 to work only 126 days a year? Georgia Republican Congressman Phil Gingrey did exactly that. During a private meeting with fellow Republicans such as John Boehner to discuss exempting members of Congress and their staffs from having to enroll in Obamacare, Rep. Gingrey apparently whined about his salary, according to the National Review. He said while lobbyists can “make 500,000 a year … I’m stuck here making $172,000 a year.”
It was a tiny remark that reveals a lot about how Republicans must really feel about their jobs in public service. Of course, this remark angered some aides in the room. The National Review reports that “one person noted that many lower-rung congressional aides make relatively low wages and have no real expectation of a future cash-out.” But the bigger story here is that a multi-millionaire Republican is actually whining about how much he’s making as an elected member of Congress while the very people he represents are not pulling in near as much income for an entire year’s work compared to what Gingrey makes working just 126 days in 2013 alone.