Bill would give House staff two paychecks monthly

House staffers may start receiving twice as many paychecks as a result of a new bill introduced this week by Rep. Robert Brady (D-Pa.), although they won’t see a bump in their salaries.

Brady, the chairman of the Committee on House Administration (CHA), has unveiled legislation that could eventually allow House staffers to be paid twice a month instead of the current once-monthly schedule, in which staffers get a check on the last business day of the month.

{mosads}“It’s particularly important for our younger employees. Approximately two-thirds of our employees are under 35 and it’s very difficult to last 30 days on the current pay system,” said Dan Beard, the House chief administrative officer.

Brady’s bill would give CHA the authority to change the present system for paying House staff salaries. If the measure were approved by the full House, CHA could then vote in committee to change the schedule to twice-a-month payments.

“[The bill] ensures that we have the flexibility and the authority to make payroll disbursement changes as necessary to be responsive to the needs of House employees,” Brady said Wednesday.

Senate staff are paid twice per month, as are executive workers. Most private-sector workers also get paid every two weeks or twice a month.

“It’s an historic anomaly,” Beard said. “The twice-a-month system is the standard way of doing business. What we have is an antiquated system driven largely by politics and not business reasons.”

A spokeswoman for administration committee Republicans said the change would require serious consideration because of the “significant costs involved and inconveniences for staff.”

“Chairman Brady’s bill will provide us with the opportunity to carefully weigh the benefits with the risks, and eventually make a decision that best serves House employees,” said GOP committee spokeswoman Salley Collins.