House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announced she is setting a minimum salary of $45,000 for staffers in the House of Representatives.
Her announcement came in a letter to colleagues dated Friday.
"The House of Representatives is strengthened by the many contributions of brilliant, dedicated and hard-working staff, who every day enable us best serve the American people," Pelosi wrote in the letter, posted by Punchbowl News.
"As Speaker, I have been proud to take steps to help bring a diversity of background and perspectives to every level of service in these hallowed halls.
"I am writing to announce two important new reforms to strengthen workplace rights for our staff, while improving our ability to retain and recruit the next generation of public servants.
"First the House will vote next week on Congressman Andy Levin's resolution recognizing congressional workers' right to organize. When the House passes this resolution, we will pave the way for staffers to join in union, if they so choose. Congressional staffers deserve the same fundamental rights and protections as workers all across the county, including the right to bargain collectively."
Pelosi added: "The House will for the first time ever set the minimum annual pay for staff at $45,000."
She also announced she was raising the maximum annual pay for staffers from $199,300 to $203,700 to match the Senate's cap.
Pelosi set a Sept. 1 deadline for offices to implement the new salary structure.
The Hill noted there was previously no minimum salary for House staffers, some of whom were paid $30,000 annually.
The Hill noted that Demand Progress, a nongovernmental organization that has pushed for higher staffer pay, praised the action by Pelosi.
"If all goes as planned, by the end of next week, this House will be on track to improve the working conditions for its staff in the 117th Congress, than Congress has over the last three decades combined," the group said.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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