The 118th Congress will be remembered for many firsts: Electing the first Black leader in the House, that 15-round speaker’s vote, and then removing that same speaker. The latest: Leadership swapped their apple-green members’ pins for deep navy ones mid-cycle at a cost of $40,000, according to one source familiar with the decision.
It’s still congress carving out a special perk for themselves. Give them a basic badge like all the support staff, and make them provide their own lanyard/case like they likely do for everyone else.
It’s part of the job. It is a special privilege to be a member of congress. And the tradition of a congressional pin goes back a long time. I don’t think it’s uncommon for members of government to have some trinket the is a physical display of their position.
https://rollcall.com/2005/01/20/for-members-of-congress-traditional-lapel-pin-serves-as-more-than-just-a-form-of-identification/