Congressional Black Associates asks members of Congress to raise wages for all staffers

The Congressional Black Associates (CBA), a bipartisan congressional staff organization, has asked for staffers on Capitol Hill to receive a pay rise after the fiscal 2022 omnibus spending legislation was passed in March.

The bill included a 21 percent increase to the Member Representational Allowance (MRA) Fund, which is allotted to offices and committees to conduct official business and pay staff.

The CBA in a statement released Friday said it stands with all staffers on Capitol Hill and in district offices who “struggle under the minimal salaries paid by Member offices.”

In a statement shared with The Hill, it called on members of Congress “to raise wages for all staffers, specifically Black and POC staffers who often find themselves struggling to make ends meet while working for the American people.”

They said that what CBA members want is clear: adequate pay and the ability to “better serve their country.”

It added that financial insecurity and instability are prevalent among many Black families and families of color, and said its members struggle every day while “proudly delivering on behalf of their country. Their service should be awarded and they should have the means to live comfortably.”

The CBA said that members of Congress should do the right thing and increase paychecks.

“This is an opportunity for Members to ensure that those working tirelessly in their offices are paid wages that allow them to care for themselves, and in many cases, their families as well.”

The congressional staff organization said that the increase to the MRA fund will create opportunities for more diverse staff appointments, improve staff retention and allow staffers to have greater access to basic necessities, such as adequate housing.

It further asked members of Congress to resist “the potentially advantageous political perception of appearing fiscally conservative or ‘frugal’ by denying the opportunity to use the additional funding and instead immediately use these funds for their intended purpose.”