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Elon Musk suggested politicians could get pay raises after DOGE slashed jobs across the federal workforce.
Thousands of probationary workers have already been terminated from their posts as President Donald Trump’s administration hopes to significantly downsize the federal government.
Musk, a senior adviser to Trump, suggested Thursday morning that members of Congress and senior government workers should get pay hikes.
“It might make sense to increase compensation for Congress and senior government employees to reduce … corruption, as the latter might be as much as 1000 times more expensive to the public,” the tech billionaire wrote on X.
Members of Congress currently earn a salary of $174,000 with good benefits. Lawmakers haven’t received a pay raise since 2009.
A Congressional spending bill put forth in December would have included a pay increase, but Musk and Trump objected to it, and it tanked in the House.
“How can this be called a ‘continuing resolution’ if it includes a 40% pay increase for Congress?” the world’s richest person wrote on X at the time.
The maximum potential increase for 2025 salaries would be 3.8 percent, or $6,600, bringing salaries to $180,600, according to Congressional Research Service.
Lawmakers were divided over the pay hike provision.
“I cannot and will not vote to give myself more money when my constituents are feeling unbelievable financial pressure,” New York Democratic Congressman Pat Ryan said in a December statement. “Congress should be focused on lowering costs for the American people, not giving ourselves a raise. If this provision isn’t removed, I will be voting against the continuing resolution.”
Georgia GOP Rep. Austin Scott previously told Bloomberg Government he believes it’s “damaging to our democracy that we are creating a scenario under which middle-class Americans cannot afford to serve in Congress.”
New York Rep. Richie Torres similarly told NPR: “We cannot operate as if there’s no inflation in the world.”
The Democrat added: “It turns out that members of Congress are subject to the impact of inflation as well — who would have thought?”
