Moran: Restore congressional per diems

Democratic Rep. Jim Moran, who is retiring from Congress this year, has put forward an idea that he admits will go nowhere, but is still worthwhile:

A retiring Democratic lawmaker from Virginia says most members of Congress are paid too little.

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) says lawmakers can’t afford to stay in Washington, D.C., and he wants to grant them a per diem expense reimbursement.

Moran said he would offer an amendment to the 2015 legislative branch spending bill to reinstate a per diem payment for members traveling from remote districts.

“There are too many members living and sleeping in their offices and it’s wrong. They can’t afford to live here and it’s wrong,” Moran told his appropriations committee colleagues.

Moran acknowledged the provision has no chance of passage, given public disdain for Congress. But he said he wanted to highlight that on $174,000 per year, many lawmakers have difficulty supporting a family back home and maintaining a Washington house as well.

“I understand that is widely felt that [members] under perform, but the fact is that this is the board of directors for the largest economic entity in the world and a lot of members can even afford to live decently when they are at their job in Washington,” he said.

Living “decently” in the DC environs is open to interpretation. But as we have learned, even in Richmond politicians with certain expectations find it hard to live on a six figure salary.

But weep not for the petty nobles across the Potomac, even those who choose to sleep in their offices. They have a number of other taps on the treasury to help keep them afloat.