Members of Congress detail how they spend public money. The expenditures are compiled into quarterly reports by the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. The books detail how much taxpayer money is used to pay for staff salaries and travel expenses for flights back to the Representative’s districts. Members also detail how they spend money on other things, like flowers, donuts, bottled water and other so-called office expenses. What’s the point? It’s an outrage. My money, your money, our money, being used for fluff. As Jake Sherman and Meredith Shiner from Politico note, “while the bulk of congressional office spending goes to salaries and routine office expenses, some of the line items offer a window into the personalities and priorities of each congressional office.”
“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Spent $2,993 In Taxpayer Money On Flowers Between June And October.” (Jake Sherman and Meredith Shiner, “Nancy Pelosi Spends $2,993 On Flowers,” Politico, 11/30/09)
• “Pelosi, who has come under fire in the past for spending on flowers, also spent roughly $30,610 in food and beverage and about $2,740 on bottled water, contributing to the nearly $120,531 total from all congressional leadership accounts.” (Jake Sherman and Meredith Shiner, “Nancy Pelosi Spends $2,993 On Flowers,” Politico, 11/30/09)
“House Majority Whip James Clyburn Has A Thing For Chantilly Donuts, Spending About $265 At The Virginia Shop In The Past Quarter.” (Jake Sherman and Meredith Shiner, “Nancy Pelosi Spends $2,993 On Flowers,” Politico, 11/30/09)
“House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) Spent About $1,561 In Bottled Water And House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) Spent No Money On Water But A Touch Over $18,000 In Food.” (Jake Sherman and Meredith Shiner, “Nancy Pelosi Spends $2,993 On Flowers,” Politico, 11/30/09)
Seriously, Clyburn spent $18,000 on food. That’s $6,000 a month. That’s $200 a day based on a 30-day month. There are a lot of families out there that don’t have the money to spend $200 a week on groceries, much less a day.
Yeah, these folks are so in touch. We should trust them to manage our health care…
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