Congressional Pay Raise?

Congress will ensure they take care of their greedy needs first before they worry about the plethora of issues that concern the lives of US Citizens. I hate how they serve just one term and get a pension for life. Cut backs need to come from Congress alone before they take away from hard working Americans. We have service members who are junior enlisted that struggle each month. Congress doesn't need a pay raise as I have read and agreed with many in this forum. To me they seem like Professional Athletes who demand more money each year. Greed and selfishness are what most of them have become. Try fixing America first and then we can talk pay raises.

I'm going to play devil's advocate here a bit.

Congress members are required to maintain two residences; one in the state they represent, and one in Washington DC. 
They have to travel... a lot.  Not sure how much they get to write off, but I imagine their official travel is on the government's dime just like ours is.
They have dress and appearance standards they have to maintain....sort of.  While ours is codified into military law, in congress, it's about credibility.  If a junior military member looks like crap in their uniform, are you going to take them seriously?  Are you going to implicitly trust what they tell you, or the job that they did?  Probably not...  That's how we're indoctrinated to think as we progress in the military.  So should we expect anything less from our lawmakers?
Their staff and aides?  How many enlisted aides does GEN Dempsey get?  How big a staff does he have? 

I'm surprised I haven't heard about they awesome retirement package they get for showing up for two years and then not making reelection (or just pulling the chute).  It's a myth.  They do have a retirement plan, but it's nowhere near as much as people like to make it out to be, and it increases the longer they stay in office, the same as ours does.

So are they underpaid?  Well, look at it from this standpoint: if you had to maintain two homes, travel, and wardrobe for their functions, could you afford it off $174K/yr?
Bear in mind, members of congress are well enough off before they get elected.  Someone who's not as financially ahead of the game may face a completely different living situation.

My first job was at a mall snack shack where the assistant manager passed along these words of wisdom: "I feel like I'm worth $10 an hour, so I 'make' $10 an hour".

When employee compensation does not match the level of skill required for the work, you often attract those seeking other forms of compensation.

Of course they are under paid; is that even a question?  Wait we are talking about tables right?  (under the table)