In a closed door meeting with House Republicans a congressman from Georgia lamented that he was "stuck" making a mere $172,000 a year while congressional aides are able to cash in and make a lot more money, according to Politico.
Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., made the comments while debating a part of the Affordable Care Act that would directly hurt their pocketbooks. The federal government provides a subsidy to congressional employees to help with the costs of purchasing health insurance in the exchange markets that will be set up under the Affordable Care Act, according to the National Review.
Many of the Republicans in the meeting were argued against the provision since it gives special treatment to members of the government; others have pointed out that they would have to spend a great deal more of their own money if the subsidy was taken away. Gingrey was one of the congressmen advocating to end the subsidy, reports the National Review.
"[Congressional aides] may be 33-year-old now and not making a lot of money," Gingrey said. "But in a few years they can just go to K Street and make $500,000 a year. Meanwhile I'm stuck here making $172,000 a year."
The comment angered at least two of the aides in the room who reported the comment to the National Review. One of the aides told the magazine that most aides make relatively low wages and that most aren't planning on cashing out in the future by becoming lobbyists as Gingrey suggests.
Gingrey's personal financial-disclosure forms show that he has a net worth of at least $3 million. Gingrey represents the 11th district in Georgia which is located just to the northwest of Atlanta. The median income within the district is $53,784 a year; Gingrey's salary is a little more than three times more than that, according to the New York Times.
Gingrey was asked about the comments by the National Review and said that he could not remember exactly what he meant by the statement but that he was trying to make the point that "it is completely unfair for members of Congress and Hill staffers to get this special treatment that the general public are not getting."
"I was engaged in a dialogue with some members of our conference who truly believe that Congress should get special treatment," Gingrey said. "And some also believe that staff members should get special treatment. I happen not to believe that."
