Written by Katrina Trinko

One congressman is pushing for a pay hike.

Rep. Jim Moran (D- Virginia) wants Congress to start offering lawmakers a housing stipend. Any lawmaker whose home is further than 50 miles from the Capitol would be eligible for a $25 day stipend when Congress is in session. By Moran’s math, that would total $2,800 per lawmaker who accepts the stipend annually.

Moran’s argument is the high cost of living in D.C. is hurting less affluent people who want to run for Congress. “Don’t we want it to make financial sense for a 30-something physician, district attorney, city council member or small-business owner, who maybe has a new home mortgage, young children, or unpaid student loan debt, to serve in Congress?” he said in a statement. “Federal elected office shouldn’t be limited just to those who are financially independent and do not have to give thought to paying out-of-pocket for living expenses while in D.C.”

But don’t fall for... http://blog.heritage.org/2014/04/09/lawmakers-salaries-put-top-five-perc...