Wait, you're telling me the Founders never wanted Congress to have a salary?

A member of this community (hi Halee!) dropped an image into my Substack chat and said, “This could be an interesting history article. Or unFiltered discussion. I’d like to know why and when this changed.”

While this captures a sentiment some of the Founders held, the historical reality is more nuanced, and Halee was right - this is an intriguing topic to dive into. We are often left wondering how these Congressional members can be so wealthy and/or if it’s really necessary to pay them as much as we do….but, how much are they paid? Should they be given a salary at all? What perks do they get in addition to their yearly payout?

I’m hoping to answer all of those questions for you, so let’s dive in…