- Elon Musk says it “might make sense” to increase pay for members of Congress.
- He said it could help safeguard against corruption — an argument Democrats like AOC have long made.
- It’s a reversal from December, when he helped tank a funding bill over a modest lawmaker pay raise.
Elon Musk seems to be changing his mind about whether members of Congress should get a raise.
“It might make sense to increase compensation for Congress and senior government employees to reduce the forcing function for corruption,” the Department of Government Efficiency head wrote on X on Thursday. “The latter might be as much as 1000 times more expensive to the public.”
It’s a far cry from December, when Musk helped tank a bipartisan government funding bill in part because it included a modest pay increase for members of Congress.
Musk’s comment on congressional and government salaries came in response to a video claiming that members of Congress are enriching themselves by steering congressional funds toward non-government organizations that they’re affiliated with.
Members of Congress are already prohibited by law from using their official positions for personal gain, and outside income often comes in the form of book proceeds.
Nonetheless, the argument Musk is making about corruption and salaries echoes those made by Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and good-government experts, who have warned that members of Congress may be tempted to trade stocks or be lured into employment in the private sector due to their stagnant salaries.
Rank-and-file members of the House and Senate currently make $174,000 — a figure that hasn't changed since 2009, since lawmakers have proactively blocked a cost of living adjustment every year since then.
If their salaries had kept pace with inflation since 2009, they would have been paid $217,900 last year, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Though that $174,000 salary is far higher than what most Americans make, lawmakers and experts have pointed to the cost of maintaining two residences, as well as the importance of the job, as a reason why the salary should be increased.