Posted by Jack
As president, Obama makes $400,000 and gets additional money in various expense accounts and that amounts to another $140,000. Vice president Biden makes $208,100 and also has expense accounts. However, they actually have more benefits in terms of staff, free travel, security, etc. In one year it is estimated that President Obama spent over $1.2 billion on vacations and miscellaneous travel for himself and his family, staff and secret service personnel.
In September 1999, President Clinton signed legislation that increased the presidential salary to $400,000, effective January 2001. The Constitution prohibits pay raises for sitting presidents. This presidential pay raise was the first since 1969, when the president’s salary was raised from $100,000 to $200,000. Adjusted for inflation, $200,000 in 1969 would be worth $930,232 today.
On top of the salary and expense accounts, both the U.S. president and vice president are given free housing with plenty of amenities. The White House has 132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, a movie theater, bowling alley, billiards room, tennis court, jogging track and putting greens. Obama also has use of Camp David, the presidential retreat. Biden lives in Number One Observatory Circle, which has been the official vice presidential residence since 1974.
Congress receives more frequent pay raises. Since 1989 a cost of living increase takes effect each year unless Congress votes against it, but they rarely do. Pay for the average member of Congress has more than doubled in the past 20 years. For example, the average salary in 1983 was $69,800 and $141,300 in 2000. However, if you were to adjust the 1983 salaries for inflation, members of Congress made $119,708 in 2000. As of January 1, 2005, members of Congress make $162,100.
The president pro tempore of the Senate and the majority and minority leaders of both houses are paid $180,100. The speaker of the House of Representatives makes $208,100.
Note: Here’s a great business deal, few of us will ever get – In 1989, George W. Bush invested $600,000 to become part owner of the Texas Rangers major league baseball team. When the team was sold in 1998, Bush earned at least $14.9 million from the deal, according to CNN. As the governor of Texas, Bush earned $115,345 annually. Dick Cheney was CEO of Halliburton, an oil engineering company, from 1995 to 2000. In 2004 he received $194,852 in deferred compensation from Halliburton. His net worth is estimated to be at least $30 million.
A president in retirement earns $196,000 a year for life, adjusted for inflation.
Just to add to how disappointed I am in our Republican congress, the schedule announced for next year is a continuation of their one week on, two weeks off. They worked two days this week, right in the middle of this fiscal crisis that they created.
For this lack of work, during a time of recession and great unemployment in this country, those fools are all paid $174,000 a year with full benefits. In 2013 they will work 126 days for that salary.
126 days.
This is the link to Eric Cantor’s web page:
http://majorityleader.gov/113thCongress1stSession.pdf
I’m not saying Democrats are any better, but I lay 100% of this blame for this on Republicans Eric Cantor and John Boehnor. I expect the Democrats to be lazy, I did not expect the Republicans to screw over taxpayers like this, all while howling about how concerned they are about the deficit. And to rub more salt in the wound, they screwed over the Tea Party congressmen who helped with their big majority by kicking them off committees when they didnt’ vote with the party.
Princess you’re right. Who could argue? I have admit that most of these guys don’t do an honest days work and haven’t for decades. They’ve got a good thing going just as long as they can keep shoveling the cow fertilizer on us mushrooms. Worse yet, they have failed to follow through on so many things important to the taxpayers. Here’s but a few of their more recent broken promises:
1. Republican’s promised a simplified tax form anyone could do on a single page – never happened.
2. Republican’s promised to reduced waste, fraud and abuse in government. Never happened.
3. Republicans promised VISA review by Homeland Security for all aliens for better protection – they never did it.
4. GOP promised to allow the purchase of health insurance across state lines, “we allow individuals to buy health care coverage outside of the state in which they live.” Never happened.
5. GOP promised to expand the use of healthcare savings accounts. They Promised they will “improve Health Savings Accounts by making it easier for patients with high-deductible health plans to use them to obtain access to quality care.” Never happened.
6. Republicans promised they will “ensure that the Border Patrol has the tools and authorities to establish operational control at the border and prohibit the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture from interfering with Border Patrol enforcement activities on federal lands.” Ask any border patrol agent and see how this has worked out.
Now that being said, Democrats have a much worse track record when it comes to broken promises.