Retiring House Republican says $174,000 isn't enough money for members of Congress: 'Most of us don't have wealth'

• Members of Congress make $174,000 and haven't gotten a raise in about 15 years
• Retiring Rep. Patrick McHenry is the latest one to argue that needs to change.
• "Most of us live on the salary," he said. "Most of us don't have wealth."

Rank-and-file members of both the House and Senate are paid $174,000 a year.

That probably seems like a decent amount of money, and it is: the median household income in 2022 was $74,580, according to the US Census.

However, consider that members of Congress generally have to maintain two residences — one in Washington, DC, and one in their home state — and that they haven't gotten a raise since 2009.