[dragonwriter]

> As per raises, they haven't received one since 2009 and I think it'd definitely make sense to peg that to inflation.

I think it would make more sense to peg it to the lower of a set multiple of each per capita GDP and median after-tax-benefits adult individual income, with th multiples set so that they both work out equal the current pay now.

Rewarding Congress for driving up average consumer prices when they are paid far enough above median income to start that their spending basket is different is...perhaps not well considered.

But any peg has a problem that ultimately, whoever is measuring the thing to which pay is pegged is accountable to Congress, so the result is to make the measure less trustworthy by tying Congressional pay to it. Forcing Congress to vote on their pay changes and face election after they do so and before they go into effect, as the last-ratified-amendment of the Bill of Rights requires, is not only Constitutionally-mandatory, but a very good idea.