Another Bogus Meme

Figures Lie and Liars Figure

The above meme was posted to Facebook by a well-meaning, but woefully under-informed friend. I am no fan of most of Congress, and have been explicit about that numerous times, but we stoop to “their” level when we are complicit in furthering the spread of nonsense such as this meme.  My response follows:

This is absolute drivel. Every figure herein is incorrect. The President gets about $210,000, annually as a pension, which is miserable compared to almost any CEO of a company for either 4 or 8 years. Compared to numerous head football coaches and failed CEOs who get multi-million-dollar buyouts after failing, it isn’t all that much, considering the responsibility entailed in the job. For example, after failing at FSU, fired coach Willie Taggart will receive $17 million. Again I'm referring specifically to the job (The Presidency), not the oafish lout currently holding it.

         As for Congressional pay/retirement:  By law no member of Congress gets (or can get, or has ever gotten) their full salary (which is what this meme shows) for life. In fact, no member of Congress can ever, no matter how long they serve, get more than 80% of their base pay in annual retirement and then only at age 62 (or upon retirement if they have served 25 years). As a point of interest, the average age of a Freshman Congressman is 49, which means that they will only have served 13 years by age 62. 

       Congressional retirement is based on number of years served X 2.5% of their High three. Example: a 5 term Representative will get about $43,000 in retirement at age 62, even if he’s voted out of office at age 45.

         Members of Congress also must contribute full SS and another 8% of salary to their retirement. For example: a three term Senator (18 years) will be paid $78,000 in retirement at age 62. He will, however, have contributed about $250,000 to the system. There are currently 335 former members retired under the current system and they average right at $74,000 annually. Each member, by law, will have paid just under $14,000 annually into their own retirement. Also, there is a five- year vesting period, so a two term Representative gets ZERO retirement and will have paid $56,000 they'll never get back. Similarly, they are all required to buy their own health care coverage, and many use the Civil service Employees group, plan. There is no Congressional “free health care” plan.  

        Furthermore, average US Social Security payout is $17,400 annually, not $12,000. The use of “seniors” is redundant, as all on traditional SS are seniors. Of course, the meme implies that this is their only income, while in fact, for 2/3 of them,  it is just a portion.  

         The actual military pay quoted is even more ridiculous. Let's consider an E-5 (Army Sergeant, lower level.) For the sake of this example, assume he lives in Orlando, has 6 years in service, is a full time National Guard member and is deployed to Afghanistan. (the numbers could be even higher in other localities). 

       His base pay is $36,012 annually. His (or her) Variable Housing Allowance (VHA), (married) is an additional $2475 monthly. This VHA is even higher in other regions, The same E-5 whose family lives in Brooklyn would get an additional $38,808 annually over and above salary!  Combat pay is another (untaxable) $225 per month, family separation allowance is another $225 per month, and basic allowance for subsistence is $370 per month. All in all, the Sergeant makes about $75,000 annually. In other words, double what this ludicrous meme implies.

        This also ignores the fact that if he re-enlists, he could get as much as $72,000 in reenlistment bonus. (it's even more if he's Navy in certain specialties!)

        The service member is also vested in a non-contributory 20-year retirement program. which he can access at, say, age 40 as a 20-year retiree. Assuming he's an E-7 by then (I was an E-9) and retires at exactly 20 years’ service, he'll immediately get over $30,000 annually in just basic retirement, and is eligible for about another $10,000 worth of annual medical insurance benefits. This means the enlisted military retiree, at age 40, can expect to draw just under a million (about $900,000) dollars in retirement before the retired Congressman is even eligible.

        Finally, a low-average achieving military officer (O-4 in 24 years) will out-earn most retired members of Congress starting at, for example, age 45. He'll earn about $70,000 in retirement and medical coverage (not to mention that he will probably get another job and earn even more. This is in no way to be construed as if I'm an admirer of Congress. You all know better, but I am an admirer of truth, which this meme sorely lacks.

        One last piece of real data: Congress has not had a pay raise since 2009. During that period US inflation has reduced their effective purchasing power by 19.9%. That means the quoted $174,000 now has the purchasing power of about $141,000 in 2009 dollars. Meanwhile, military pay has been raised by 17.1% over the same period, and retired pay has, as well. So no, Congress isn't fattening their purses compared to other federal employees. The truth is out there, as Fox Mulder so famously said, it simply isn't anywhere in this meme.