The Average Salary of a Newly Elected Congressman
Congressmen are elected members of the legislative branch of Congress, and are responsible for creating laws for the U.S. The number of representatives serving in the House are apportioned according to their state's population, while in the Senate, two senators hail from each state. Congressmen have the power to determine their own salaries.
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Basics
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As of 2011 and since 2009, the base pay for newly elected congressmen has equaled that of all those serving in the House and Senate: $174,000 per year, with no dollars for honorariums. This is a change from the original congressional salary from 1789 to 1795, which was $6 per day, but with unlimited honorariums. Congress can vote to raise the salaries of its members yearly, though the last such increase was in 2009, when pay reached their current levels from $169,300 per year.
Officials
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Newly elected congressmen may receive different salaries, if assigned advanced positions and duties. However, these possibilities are more likely for more experienced legislators. The highest paying of these is Speaker of the House, who is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives. He receives $223,500 and is next in the line of presidential succession after the vice president. The "president pro temporare" presides over the Senate when the vice president cannot do so. She makes $193,400. Minority and majority leaders of both the Senate and the House make the same amount.
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Business Allowances
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All congressional members receive allowances to enable them to conduct government business. House representatives get $944,671 to hire up to 18 permanent employees, $256,574 for office and travel expenses expenses, and mailing expenses based on the number of nonbusiness addresses in the representative's district. The allowances for senators vary according to their state population, distance from Washington, D.C. to home states and committee authorized limits. For example, the combined allowances for office personnel and expenses ranged from $3.09 million for senators from Delaware to $4.87 million for senators from California, for fiscal year 2010.
Other Allowances
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Other allowances include free copies of government publications such as they Daily Congressional Record. A congressman and a designated staffer can have free round-trip tickets between Washington, D.C., and their residential district for attending organizational caucuses and conferences. Senators may employ interns, can have office space in federal buildings and one mobile office in their home states. They can also receive allowance for furniture and equipment for their spaces in Washington, D.C., and home states. Finally, they also receive certain government publications for free.
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References
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