Roll Call: FEC reviewing rules on salaries, benefits for candidates

When Democrat Nabilah Islam ran for Congress in 2020, she gave up a salary and health insurance to campaign full time. She didn’t win, but she’s trying to change the system anyway.

Islam, who lost in the Democratic primary in Georgia’s 7th District to now-Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, is calling on the Federal Election Commission to change the rules to allow candidates to secure a minimum salary and health benefits through their campaigns. She also wants the FEC to set a uniform time frame for when candidates may begin drawing compensation.

Campaign finance overhaul groups such as Issue One and Common Cause support the effort, saying it would make it easier for a more diverse collection of people to seek public office.  …

Under current rules, candidates may not pay for their own health insurance with campaign funds, though campaigns may insure staffers. Candidates for House or Senate are entitled to pay themselves a salary of up to $174,000 annually, the rate of pay for the office they’re seeking. They can’t draw more than they were making in the year previous to their run for office, however, so that means unemployed people or stay-at-home caregivers are not entitled to a salary.

“The rules really have been stacked against working people running for office or people who might have been caregivers or those in between employment,” said Stephen Spaulding, senior counsel for public policy and government affairs at Common Cause. “If you were unemployed, a care-taker and your income was zero, you’re not entitled to a salary.”