Why does Congress get 86 days off a year to spend raising campaign funds and calling donors?

As a taxpayer I only get a total of 21 days off including holidays. Imagine how much time and money could be saved if Congress either spent more time working or only got paid for the time they were at work!

A lawmaker earns a salary of $174,000 to work 180/266 weekdays in 2018. Most of us make less than half of that to work about 245/266 weekdays. I get that “not in session” doesn’t mean “not working” but I’m led to believe that the majority of time spent out of session is time spent campaigning and soliciting donations rather than time spent being productive. Why is that acceptable?

Frankly I’ve always been in the “pay them very little for their job” camp. That’ll weed out who really has a passion for representing the people and who’s just in it for the money. Tough to implement because they basically set their own salaries though…

Here are some additional questions:

1. Why are there only two parties who’ve been able to make waves in OUR government?
2. Why are we allowing the RNC & DNC to hold OUR elected representatives hostage by forcing them to pay crazy dues & fees after they get elected? If you don’t pay those fees, the parties will not endorse you (may even pay to have you smeared if you’re popular. You could take them to court, but they’ve got enough money to stonewall you until the election is over).

3a. Why do OUR elected officials have to pay (sometimes $millions) to be on an oversight committee? They have to raise money for their campaign, raise money for the RNC or DNC, then raise a CRAZY amount to get a seat on one of those committees?

3b. Who would be willing & able to raise a million $ for a candidate to get on an OVERSIGHT committee? What motives might they have? You can bet your ass companies & industries that are within scope of an oversight committee are donating so “friendly” politicians are on those committees.

These are OUR representatives! We need term limits, audits, a re-birth of multiple party influence, & to return to governing our own government- as it was designed to be governed!

h/t GoldenWizard