By Susan Duclos
DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla is complaining that the spending cuts over the last two years forced up Congressional members are affecting their offices, then she goes on to claim her aides re being "priced out" of a good meals.
The cuts have also affected the quality of life for congressional aides, said Wasserman Schultz, whose defense of Capitol Hill staffers amid budget cuts has won her unofficial den mother status among many. At the hearing, for example, she said prices of meals in House restaurants are getting so high that aides are being "priced out" of a good meal.
The Breitbart article lists the prices of some of the food available for those aides:
At the carry-out cafe in the Cannon Office Building, where Wasserman Schultz has her office, you can get an 8oz bowl of Ham and Bean soup for $2. You can buy gourmet sandwiches and wraps for around $5. Both of these are cheaper than I can get at delis down the street from my house.
Her aides could walk across the street to the Longworth Building, which has a large sit-down cafeteria. Today, it is featuring a roasted stuffed Chicken, with asparagus and mashed potatoes, for around $7. Or, one could opt for a heaping 12oz bowl of Chicken Chili for $3.
Breitbart also takes a look at the salaries that Wasserman Schultz aides are earning, the site listing three month increment that do not include extra bonuses or additional payments for aides working in multiple offices.
Wasserman Schultz's top aide earns around $160k a year. She pays two additional aides around $120k a year. She has five additional aides who earn between $60-100k a year.
Compare that to the average American median income:
Americans must be wondering how much more of this “recovery” they can afford. New figures from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, compiled by Sentier Research, show that the typical American household’s real (inflation-adjusted) income has actually dropped 5.7 percent during the Obama “recovery.” Using constant 2012 dollars (to adjust for inflation), the median annual income of American households was $53,718 as of June 2009, the last month of the recession. Now, after 38 months of this “recovery,” it has fallen to $50,678 — a drop of $3,040 per household.
I doubt ordinary Americans making less than Wasserman Schultz aides will feel very sympathetic to her complaints about being "priced out" of anything.
Talk about "out-of-touch."
