David M. Drucker: Congress could make itself relevant again. Anytime

I’m going to say something and then I’m going to duck: Being a member of Congress is a taxing profession that doesn’t pay nearly enough based on the expectations and pressures of the job. It’s no wonder Democrats and Republicans are fleeing Capitol Hill in droves.

I ducked because Congress — the House of Representatives and the US Senate, collectively — has a rather miserable average job approval rating of 23.7%, with a whopping 66.3% disapproving. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you don’t think too highly of either representatives or senators. Which means you’re probably not persuaded that a $174,000 annual base salary (top leaders earn a bit more) is inadequate, to say the least. That’s fine; that’s usually the reaction I get. I’m used to it.

But consider what it takes to do the job right.

Unless a member represents a district or state proximal to Washington, he or she is away from home and family for three to five days per week, every week, except when Congress is in recess. But hey, at least these dopes get a periodic recess, right? Especially the extended four-to-six-week August recess that Congress takes every summer. I mean, my job doesn’t give me any recess. Thanks to my smartphone, I’m lucky if I get to unplug on weekends.

Except the term “recess” is deceiving.

When members of Congress are on a so-called recess, they’re not actually on vacation. They’re working. But instead of participating in committee hearings or voting on legislation on Capitol Hill, they’re traveling their district, or state, holding meetings with local elected officials, business owners, constituent groups, labor leaders — you name it — to take stock of what communities need and what voters want from Washington. It’s work they sought out and campaigned for, but it’s still work.

I know because for more than 20 years, it’s been during these congressional “recesses” that I’ve hit the road to cover representatives and senators on their home turf to figure out what their reelection prospects are in the next election.

Oh, and about the compensation package: $174,000 is before taxes; no housing or per diem stipend for a second residence in Washington, which is why so many members of modest means choose to live in their offices (former Speaker Paul Ryan, from Janesville, Wisconsin, did so for most, if not all, of his 20 years in the House). Although, yes, the costs of traveling to and from Washington every week are reimbursable.

Which gets us to the exodus underway as the 2026 midterm elections approach.

Of the 57 members on Roll Call’s Casualty List for the 119th Congress, 26 are calling it quits completely. That includes 15 Democrats, who are leaving despite their party’s increasing odds of recapturing the House next November. Another 27 members (Democrats and Republicans) are retiring to seek another office. Granted, some are ditching the House to run for Senate. But 13 of the members in this category are running for state office. In other words, they’re not fed up with politics or elected office, just Congress.

An additional four members couldn’t exit the building fast enough.

Rather than serve out their term, they chose to resign before it expires at the end of next year. That includes Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, whose planned resignation takes effect Jan. 5. And don’t be surprised if there are more retirements, and possibly resignations, announced in the coming weeks. Members traditionally spend the holiday season reassessing their personal and professional lives and conclude, essentially, that Congress can “take this job and shove it.”

Here's part of what Greene had to say about why she is leaving early: “Almost one year into our majority, the legislature has been mostly sidelined, we endured an 8 week shutdown wrongly resulting in the House not working for the entire time, and we are entering campaign season which means all courage leaves and only safe campaign reelection mode is turned on.”

Whatever your opinion of the controversial Greene, her frustration is felt by many lawmakers, Democrat and Republican. It’s a leading motivation for their decision to seek professional opportunities elsewhere. Consider the case of Representative Jared Golden, who is retiring at the end of 2026 after just four terms. The Maine Democrat, a former Marine, has always conducted himself with decorum and seriousness. Pay close attention to what he had to say about the personal cost of serving in Congress, especially in an era of extreme political polarization.

From Golden’s op-ed: "I have grown tired of the increasing incivility and plain nastiness that are now common from some elements of our American community — behavior that, too often, our political leaders exhibit themselves. … Additionally, recent incidents of political violence have made me reassess the frequent threats against me and my family … including all of us sitting in a hotel room on Thanksgiving last year after yet another threat against our home. … As my oldest daughter reaches school age, the threats, the intolerance and hate that often dominate political culture, and my long absences, will be more keenly felt. As a father, I have to consider whether the good I can achieve outweighs everything my family endures as a result."

Fixing a political environment that causes elected officials to fear for their safety and for their families’ lives is a conundrum. But there is one tool members of Congress have at the ready that could improve their quality of life on the job: It’s called Article I of the Constitution.

There’s a false cliché that we have three, coequal branches of government. Not true. Congress is the Supreme Branch. Lawmakers hold immense power compared to the executive and judicial branches — if they would only exercise it.

In doing so, they might improve their day-to-day, on-the-job satisfaction. Spending all week away from their spouses, children and the comforts of home, all while forgoing a larger paycheck, might stop feeling like such a waste of time.

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This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

David M. Drucker is a columnist covering politics and policy. He is also a senior writer for The Dispatch and the author of "In Trump's Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the Future of the GOP."