They were originally only paid a per diem for the time on the hill...this was not intended to be a full-time thing like they made it. Lawmakers used to have methods of earning a living and they were lawmakers when the call rose for such, they did their arguments and votes, then went back to work at their living of choice...not sitting full time on a salaried position that they vote in the raises for. We need to go back to the original way they used to run the hill in the beginning.