What are the current per diem rates for US Senators?

1. How per diem for Senators is set: federal rates plus Senate rules

Federal per diem amounts are established annually by the General Services Administration (GSA) and vary by locality; agencies and many entities use those rates for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses ^[5]. For Senators, statutory language and recent bills tie the amount payable to what an employee would receive under the GSA/Title 5 per diem rules, and the Senate’s Committee on Rules and Administration has authority to prescribe applicable reimbursement rules ^{[1] [3]}. In short: the GSA schedule supplies the numbers; Senate rules determine when and how a Senator can claim them ^{[1] [3]}.

2. What Senators typically cannot claim: no routine D.C. per diem

Multiple sources emphasize that Members of Congress do not receive a standing per diem or housing allowance for being in Washington, D.C., as part of their regular duties. ThoughtCo. and other summaries explicitly state senators are not eligible for housing or per diem allowances for expenses incurred in Washington, D.C.; their office allowance (SOPOEA) covers other staffing and office costs ^[4]. Historical and explanatory CRS material reinforces that member pay and allowances have specific legal limits and are distinct from executive‑branch employee per diem practices ^{[2] [6]}.

3. When Senators can receive per diem: travel away from home or special circumstances

Senate statutory language and internal travel rules tie per diem eligibility to travel status — typically overnight travel away from the senator’s district or travel that otherwise meets conditions set by Senate regulations (e.g., overnight stay plus meals) ^{[7] [3]}. A 119th‑Congress bill (H.R.2519) introduced in 2025 proposed applying GSA rates explicitly to Members for costs tied to travel to/from the Washington metropolitan area for voting, showing legislative interest in clarifying or changing when per diem applies ^{[1] [8]}. That bill was in early stages and its mere existence shows policy debate, not an enacted universal rate ^[8].

4. What the numbers look like in practice: locality‑dependent GSA schedules

Because the GSA publishes a wide set of locality rates, there is no single dollar figure for “Senate per diem” in the materials provided; rather, the applicable amount depends on the travel destination and the fiscal year schedule ^{[5] [9]}. Third‑party aggregators and FederalPay reproduce the FY2025 GSA per diem tables for specific cities and the standard CONUS rates; any senator claiming per diem under GSA rules would be reimbursed at those published locality figures ^{[9] [5]}.

5. Competing viewpoints and why coverage can be confusing

One narrative argues members deserve D.C. per diem because they maintain dual residences and have out‑of‑pocket Washington costs; another emphasizes that congressional compensation already accounts for those burdens and that Members lack routine D.C. per diem—this second view is reflected directly in guidance saying members “do not receive a per diem or reimbursement for their out‑of‑pocket living expenses when they are at work in Washington” ^{[10] [4]}. Legislative efforts like H.R.2519 show some lawmakers seek to expand per diem access under GSA rules for specific travel to vote, illustrating active disagreement over policy ^{[1] [8]}.

6. What the available reporting does not provide

Available sources do not list a single, current flat per diem dollar amount that applies uniformly to every Senator at all times; they do not show an enacted change that grants Senators a permanent, separate D.C. per diem distinct from GSA locality rates (not found in current reporting). They also do not provide an up‑to‑date, Senate‑published table of exactly which travel situations qualify each senator for per diem — only references to Senate rules and to the underlying GSA schedules ^{[1] [3] [5]}.

7. Practical takeaway and where to look next

To find the dollar figure relevant to any particular Senate trip, consult the current GSA per diem locality tables for FY2025 (or the applicable fiscal year) and the Senate’s Rules and Administration guidance on travel claiming; legislative changes such as H.R.2519 should be monitored for any statutory shift toward explicit per diem entitlements tied to Washington travel ^{[5] [1] [8]}. For confirmation of office allowances or restrictions on D.C. per diem, the Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account (SOPOEA) reporting and the Senate’s travel regulations are the primary sources cited by commentators ^{[4] [3]}.