The more I read, the more I fear for America and its Republic.

The incredible ignorance displayed by this and many similar social media posts and the thousands of approvals and favorable comments is frightening.

A meager effort to research the facts and a modicum of critical thinking would reveal the truth, but that effort is rarely applied.

I recall daily Ben Franklin’s words .

“A Republic madam, if you can keep.”

A member of Congress must maintain a residence in their home state, they must live in Washington DC. They may have a family to relocate. They give up a job and can lose their congressional job in a few years. They take a risk.

They work every day, in session or not, they work on committees beyond general sessions, they work in their home districts.

Congress has not had a raise or COLA adjustment in seventeen years (2009)

They are certainly not overpaid.

Like all other federal workers they must contribute toward a pension, social security and Obamacare health insurance.

They must select a gold level health insurance plan offered on a designated exchange, all with significant deductibles.

The government contributes the lesser of:

1. 72% of the program-wide weighted average premium, or
2. 75% of the premium for the specific plan selected

similar to contributions for all federal workers. They pay much more than $300 in premium with deductibles mostly well over $1,000

Members since 2014 contribute 4.4% of pay to a pension plus social security taxes. A member of the House must be re-elected twice to become vested in any pension.

After twenty years of service their pension would be $34,800 per year if retired before age 62 and $38,280 if retire at 62 or later. Less than 25% of pay – contrary to the pay for life myth.

And remember, they must be re-elected by the “informed public” several times to even reach the 20-year point.

As far as forced to retire at age 70, voters can make that happen.