WHEN I tell people I'm interning for my Senator this summer, I generally get two responses. First, they say that it's a great opportunity and that I must have worked very hard to get it. Often, though, they make snide comments about Congress as an institution that are loaded with cynicism. Nearly six weeks on the Hill has told me that these attitudes have little factual basis.
Congress isn't the institution of lazy fat cats people think it is. Take for example my senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas). She begins her day with breakfast meetings and usually goes home long after the staffers leave at 6 p.m. Often, the Congress does not adjourn for the night until 7 or 8.
Additionally, legislators give up lucrative opportunities in the private sector to serve as representatives. Many Americans unfairly deride the salaries of Congressmen -- $136,700 for the rank and file.
True, this is more than what most Americans make. But keep in mind that these are not people with average qualifications. Most have advanced degrees and come from rich fields. Most are former attorneys or successful businesspeople. Such individuals could easily command many times their congressional salaries in the private sector. But they give that up when they enter public service.
Additionally, members have greater demands placed on their time than most professionals. Both senators and representatives go home most weekends, but these trips are rarely for recreation. Weekends at home tend to be spent raising funds for the next campaign or attending events that show they are still in touch with their constituents. Their "days off" are often planned from dawn until late at night with events, appointments, and public appearances, with very little time left to relax. Even when they are in their home state, senators don't spend much time at their actual homes -- they're typically busy traveling all over the state.
The travel itself is time consuming for members, especially those west of the Mississippi. According to his staff, Sen. Frank Murkowski of Alaska goes home at least once a month, sometimes twice. This may seem unremarkable until you consider the fact that it's a 14-hour trip. Shuttling back and forth that distance requires sacrifices in terms of time and effort.
Legislators' salaries seem much smaller when job-related expenses are considered. Despite the fact that trips to their district are really business trips, legislators pay for most of these out of pocket. Many people also forget that all members must maintain two residences: one in their home state and one in Washington. Add in the wardrobe requirements and the constant expense of dining out, and suddenly congressional salaries don't seem so exorbitant.
Common complaints about the alleged stranglehold of interest groups on senators also miss the mark. Like many people, I used to have images of members constantly meeting with lobbyists, trading large checks for influence. However, lobbyists have a hard time corrupting legislators for one reason: They don't see each other that much. I sat in on meetings with several different lobbying groups, but these meetings took place with staffers, not the Senator. Most of lobbyists' private meetings are with other legislators or constituents. Lobbyists generally get to meet directly with members only if they are discussing legislation that is unusually important to the member. Despite all the public concern about lobbyists, representatives of the National Rifle Association don't walk in and chat with the Senator whenever they feel like it.
Of course, I don't mean to say that members of Congress are saints. They run the spectrum, from thoughtful people who make an effort to know their staff to power-hungry tyrants who sexually harass young employees. But this is true of the rest of the population, and just like the rest of American society, members of Congress are mostly good people.
They may be a bit more privileged than the norm, but in their personalities they are a microcosm of the country. On the whole, America's legislators are no better or worse than the people they represent. The qualities we see in them, both good and bad, are qualities we possess ourselves. And that's how it should be.
(Elizabeth Managan is a Cavalier Daily columnist.)
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