GOP rep: ‘Bullcrap’ to say taxpayers pay my salary

[SueEllenRules!]

GOP rep: ‘Bullcrap’ to say taxpayers pay my salary

Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) faced off with constituents at a town hall this week, telling the members of the audience that they don't pay his salary.

• "You say you pay for me to do this? That’s bullcrap," Mullin said at the town hall in Jay, Okla., according to a video of the incident.
• "I pay for myself. I paid enough taxes before I got here and continue to through my company to pay my own salary. This is a service. No one here pays me to go,” he added.
• After constituents pushed back, Mullin reiterated that being a lawmaker is not "how I make my living."
• “I’m just saying ... this is a service for me, not a career, and I thank God this is not how I make my living,” he said.
• Mullin's spokeswoman, Amy Lawrence, told the Tulsa World that the lawmaker does not want to become a career politician.
• “The congressman reiterates in the video that his work as the representative of the Second District of Oklahoma is a service,” Lawrence said.
• “His aspiration is to be a career legislator and not a career politician. He is not, nor does he ever aspire to be, a career politician. His priority will always be to serve his constituents to the best of his ability.”
• Mullin is the owner of multiple companies under the umbrella of Mullin Plumbing.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brief...crap-to-say-taxpayers-pay-my-salary-i-pay-for

 

[SueEllenRules!]

Q: What fringe benefits do members of Congress enjoy?

A: QUICK ANSWER
Members of Congress get automatic pay raises, a full pension, free parking in many parking lots and garages throughout Washington, D.C., and a lucrative 401k plan. As of 2011, a congressman's salary sat at around $174,000 per year, and with benefits, that figure jumps to around $250,000 per year.

FULL ANSWER
In 2011, around 46 percent of members of United States Congress had a net worth of more than $1 million. Compare this to the fact that most of the U.S. makes $50,000 or less per year, and it causes people to be quite upset. In 2009, Congress voted to forgo its annual raise for 2 years and a bill was introduced that would cut each members salary by 5 percent. That wasn't the first time such a bill was introduced and bills like that never gain support from the members of Congress.

Taxpayers pay matching contributions to Congress members' 401k. Contributions to a Congressman's 401k carry a matching rate of 5 percent, which is more than most "normal" people make. As of 2011, company contributions to an employee's 401k occur at a rate of around 3 percent.

Politicians know how to play the system and this helps them keep many of their generous benefits. Politicians often manipulate news stories to make the American people feel good about themselves and the job Congress does. This shines politicians in a positive light, making it easier for people to turn a blind eye to the many benefits they receive in office.

https://www.reference.com/governmen...fits-members-congress-enjoy-c49eac668f4ba467#