The comment comes at a time when Congress is mulling over a minimum wage increase for the American public, but Republicans seem opposed to the spike. Moran's remarks also were part of a larger discussion about how much money the legislative branch should get in this year’s funding bill. It’s appropriations season on Capitol Hill – a time when members of Congress prioritize where the money in the federal budget should go – and part of that process requires lawmakers to look at their own pay.

The legislative appropriations bill introduced in the House of Representatives Wednesday keeps congressional pay frozen at the same level it's been at since 2010. And Moran, liberated by his own pending retirement, is calling for a change.

Of course, members of Congress already make more than a lot of other workers, including the average lawyer, nurse or cashier.

Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics

“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 and a lot of members cannot even afford to live decently when they are at their job in Washington,” Moran said.

He cited reports of lawmakers sleeping in their offices to save money. However, only a handful were still rocking the “couch caucus” as of a 2013 Huffington Post report.

“Others have small apartment units and they are not able to spend the time they should with their families,” Moran said.

Members of Congress certainly could make a lot more money in comfortable K Street lobbying jobs or as talking heads on cable news, but that requires giving up the prestige of Capitol Hill. Lawmakers have tremendous responsibilities: They handle real moments of life and debt by having a stake in whether the U.S. entangles itself in conflicts overseas and managing a multitrillion-dollar budget.

[ALSO: Meet the 5 Poorest U.S. Senators]

Michael DiNiscia, associate director of New York University's John Brademas Center for the Study of Congress, argues that in some ways Americans don’t recognize the tremendous job responsibilities of Congress, or the expertise the public is getting for its buck.

“They handle a $3.5 trillion budget,” DiNiscia says. “CEOs who are handling just $1 billion are paid so much more.”

Yet, DiNiscia asserts it's still politically “tone-deaf” for members to argue their salaries are not enough to live comfortably.

“Anytime any voter hears about a congressional pay raise, they get angry,” DiNiscia says. “This is a hot-button issue.”

So how broke are members of Congress? It’s not cheap to maintain two residences, and the median price of a home in Washington, D.C., hit a record high last year. Of course, members could rent a place, but even that comes at a steep price: The district, Maryland and Virginia all have been ranked among the 10 most expensive places in the country to rent.

Still, a lot of members come into Congress already having amassed a large amount of wealth. The top 50 richest members of Congress all have a net worth of at least $6.7 million, according to Roll Call’s annual tabulation. The richest member of Congress – Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. – has a net worth of $355 million.





