WASHINGTON – If you think anesthesiologists make a boatload of cash, you might be surprised at the hourly rate for members of the House of Representatives.
The Hill reports that with Congress in session for just eight days between Aug. 1 and Nov. 12, House members will make an hourly wage for those days that amounts to $608 per hour, assuming they work 10 hours a day. House members make $174,000 a year.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, anesthesiologists make $113 an hour on average.
Ralph Nader worked the calculation out in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Nader calculated Boehner will make $781 per hour for the eight days, given his $223,500 salary.
Lawmakers counter that they are working in their home districts and meeting constituents when they are not on Capitol Hill.
But if your impression of Congress is that members of both chambers don’t work much, an analysis by The Washington Post supports that stereotype.
The Post looked at Congressional activity over the past 37 years and found that during the 1,917 weeks since the start of 1978, the House has only worked a full week 362 times and the Senate 601 times.
Both chambers worked five-day weeks 258 times, or 13.5 percent of the time.
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