House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced that House staffers will now be able to earn higher salaries than the members of Congress for whom they work.
Staff salaries have remained largely stagnant over the last decade. However, Pelosi’s order now means that the salary cap for House staffers will be $199,300, up from the maximum salary of $173,900 in 2020 for both the House and Senate. This places some top staffers in the position where they’ll make more money than their bosses.
“This order will help the Congress recruit and retain the outstanding and diverse talent that we need, as it also helps ensure parity between employees of the House of Representatives and other employees of the federal government,” Pelosi wrote in the announcement.
“This important action follows steps taken over the last two Congress to make the House more inclusive, open, and representative of the full range of voices and values of our communities.  These steps include establishing the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion and taking action to establish the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress,” she added. “The decision to raise the maximum annual rate of pay was recommended by the Chair of the Committee on House Administration Zoe Lofgren. Furthermore, it builds on the work of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, which under Chairman Derek Kilmer, has carefully reviewed and held hearings on this issue and related matters. ”
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An analysis conducted by the Congressional Research Service found that if members of Congress had received every scheduled automatic cost-of-living adjustment set by a 1989 ethics law, their 2021 salary level would be $218,600.
Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.
