Recession? Not for the U.S. House, which raised office budgets 8%

WASHINGTON (AP) — The recession and rising joblessness has millions of Americans cutting their household budgets, but times are flush for lawmakers.

The House of Representatives, with little comment or opposition, on Friday approved an 8 percent increase in the budget for members’ office expenses.

House members will get an average $1.5 million in the budget year starting in October to run their Washington and district offices and cover travel and other official expenses.

Overall, the budget for what the House calls members’ representational allowances, or MRAs, will jump $51 million to $660 million.

The money is part of a $3.7 billion spending bill to run Congress and its associated agencies such as the Library of Congress and the Capitol Police the House passed Friday.

Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, said it was “more than ironic that Congress is going in the opposite direction” at a time when most businesses, including those now being run by Washington, are trying to find ways to reduce spending.

“It shows a lack of understanding of how people are getting along these days,” he said.

There was little discussion of MRAs during debate on the bill, although Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., complained that he had been barred from offering an amendment that would have frozen the money at this year’s level.

“I’ll be the first to tell you that my office could use an MRA increase,” Heller said. “Traveling my largely rural district and staying in touch with thousands of Nevadans takes a significant amount of MRA funds.”

But with other Americans cutting back, “this body must be a part of this sacrifice, and that starts here, in our offices.”

The MRA budget has risen from $555 million in fiscal 2007 to $580 million in 2008 and $609 million this year.

The increase did have its defenders. Rep. Robert Brady, D-Pa., chairman of the House Administration Committee, said in a statement that the demands on member offices have increased dramatically with the economic downturn, “and staff have been called on to work harder and smarter to ensure that we are meeting those growing needs.” He noted that Speaker Nancy Pelosi had recently ordered that records of member expenditures be put online to increase transparency and accountability.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., who heads the Appropriations Committee panel in charge of the spending bill, said Congress can’t compete with salaries and benefits offered by the private sector.

They are increasing the MRA “so that we can grow salaries” and “make sure we hold on to the best and brightest.”

The overall bill, she added was millions under the $4 billion requested by the administration.

But Jordan Forbes, federal government-affairs manager for the National Taxpayers Union, said the increase was “fiscally reckless” in the current economic atmosphere.

“Congress is losing its credibility when it tries to make the argument that it is doing everything it can to get the economy back on track.” She said how a member votes on the spending bill will be considered in the NTU’s ratings of lawmakers.

Congress does pay some attention to public scrutiny of its generosity toward itself. A giant spending bill passed last March contained a provision denying lawmakers the automatic cost-of-living pay increase they are due next Jan. 1.

Each member’s expense allowance is determined by a formula that takes into account the distance of their district from Washington and regional difference in the costs of running a district office. Alaska’s Don Young thus got one of the highest allowances in 2008, at $1.52 million.

The Members’ Handbook, an official guide for lawmakers, provides a detailed list of what does, and does not, qualify for the allowance.

Microwaves, periodicals, picture frames and flags are reimbursable, as are food offered in office meetings and expenses related to drug testing or translating services. Food provided for social events and holiday greetings are not.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved its parallel bill that funds senator office expense accounts at $425 million next year, up $25 million from the current year.