Congress Must Eliminate Its Own Pensions, Reduce Its Salaries ...

 ... Before Cutting a Dime From Middle Class Entitlements

But like those in congress say ...budget cuts are only for the little people.

Paul Abrams writes over at Huffington Post:

Nor, I am afraid, can we afford to pay you $174,000 per year. You take a lot of time off already, probably more than teachers, and so we are really overpaying you, and you do not need to invest in continuing education to keep your credentials up-to-date. Moreover, middle-class workers actually suffered a decline in salaries over the last decade, even prior to the Bush Recession, so you need to be cut back to what you were earning in 1999.

We would like to pay you more, but we just cannot afford it.

Oh, yes, on healthcare and your gym memberships -- you can start paying for those like all other Americans do, out of your salaries. Instead of the program for federal employees, you can only get covered by whatever insurance is available in the states from which you come. That will be good for you, it would enable you to be "men and women 'of the people.'" We are doing that for your own benefit.