A retiring Democratic congressman from Virginia says federal lawmakers don’t make enough money to get by in both Washington and back home.

“I think the American people should know that the members of Congress are underpaid,” Rep. James P. Moran told CQ Roll Call.

“I understand that it’s widely felt that they underperform, but the fact is that this is the board of directors for the largest economic entity in the world.”

Mr. Moran told the publication that some lawmakers live out of their offices while in the nation’s capital, or in “small little apartment units” that make it hard to spend time with their families.

A Republican-led appropriations bill introduced this week would retain a freeze on lawmakers’ salaries that has been in place since 2010, but Mr. Moran said state legislatures provide a per diem allowance and that the federal government should do the same, according to Roll Call.

Mr. Moran said his mission “is wholly quixotic” and will not pass, but Roll Call says he may bring it up on the House floor to garner attention.

“Our pay has been frozen for three years and we’re planning on freezing it a fourth year. … A lot of members can’t even afford to live decently in Washington,” he told the publication.

Members of Congress are paid $174,000 per year.

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.