Opinion Pieces

In case you missed it, Congressman Ralph Norman penned an op-ed sounding the alarm on a troubling reality in Washington: while Americans at home face record debt and rising costs, some in Congress are quietly pushing for pay raises. At a time when public trust in government is already strained, lawmakers should be focused on affordability for families back at home, not padding their own salaries.

Read the article in FITS News here and below.

Americans nationwide are demanding greater oversight on Capitol Hill. They want to know their voices are being heard. And the public is exposing those who attempt to evade accountability.

At this very moment, Hillary Clinton is under investigation by the House Oversight Committee for her decades of corruption in Washington. Representative Nancy Pelosi similarly has amassed unprecedented scrutiny for stock trades and wealth accumulation while serving in Congress— something President Donald Trump highlighted in his recent State of the Union. Meanwhile, Minnesota has become a regular national headline for its brazen waste of billions of taxpayer dollars under the leadership of failed Governor Tim Walz.

This is exactly why I introduced H.R. 7628, legislation to eliminate automatic pay raises for Members of Congress and return transparency to Washington.

While mainstream media may focus on political headlines, what has gone largely unnoticed is that Members of Congress are currently pushing for selfish pay raises. If successful, lawmakers could see significant salary boosts, all while the national debt exceeds $38 trillion. That’s a reality most Americans would find hard to believe.

On top of that, a group of lawmakers is suing for back pay, a move that would open the door for millions more in taxpayer-funded compensation.

That group includes Representative Jim Clyburn from my home state of South Carolina. It is disappointing to see elected officials pursue policies that would ultimately burden the very constituents they were elected to represent. But that is the state of Washington today. Even as our national debt approaches the size of our entire economy, congressional money grabs have become normalized.

As a businessman and a representative of South Carolina’s Fifth District, I know this approach is wrong. My bill would terminate automatic pay adjustments for Members of Congress and repeal the provision that allows them.

Some argue that serving in Congress is demanding, and higher pay would incentivize longer service. But at a time when fewer than 1 in 5 Americans approve of Congress, when our President is tackling unbalanced trade, and when transparency has become taboo on Capitol Hill, that argument falls flat.

Automatic pay increases for Members of Congress risk widening the gap between elected officials and the working Americans they represent. They are fiscally irresponsible and prioritize self-interest over public service. These actions expose a system that too often rewards tenure instead of performance.

It is unthinkable that lawmakers can fail their constituents and still expect a raise. In the private sector, pay is tied to performance, not titles. Congress should be no different. I look forward to advancing this bill. The American people deserve transparency, accountability, and a renewed sense of trust in our government.

https://www.fitsnews.com/2026/03/04/ralph-norman-congress-doesnt-deserve-a-pay-raise/