How much do they get to spend on expenses?
Every member in the House and the Senate gets an allotment (called a Members Representational Allowance in the House) which they can use to hire and pay staff, buy office supplies, lease office space in their home state or district, mail official documents, answer mail, travel back and forth between Washington and their home, and generally try to serve their constituents. The amount each office gets is based on a formula, but generally it’s around $1 million. There are limits on how many people you can hire (18 permanent, 4 part time) and on how much you can pay people (max is $151,000). It varies from member to member, but most offices spend the most on staff salaries, then mail, then office rent, travel, supplies, etc. Members are expressly prohibited from using their taxpayer-financed office money for campaign activities, personal expenses, or primarily social activities. Members also can’t accept support from private sources for their official duties (except for travel).
Every member in the House and the Senate gets an allotment (called a Members Representational Allowance in the House) which they can use to hire and pay staff, buy office supplies, lease office space in their home state or district, mail official documents, answer mail, travel back and forth between Washington and their home, and generally try to serve their constituents. The amount each office gets is based on a formula, and in 2006, the amounts ranged from just over $1 million to $1.5 million. There are limits on how many people you can hire (18 permanent, 4 part time) and on how much you can pay people (max is $159,828 in 2006). It varies from member to member, but most offices spend the most on staff salaries, then mail, then office rent, travel, supplies, etc. Members are expressly prohibited from using their taxpayer-financed office money for campaign activities, personal expenses, or primarily social activities. Members also can’t accept support from private sources for their of
Related Questions
- How can Direct Relief International use 100 percent of donations for program expenses – doesn’t the organization spend money on fundraising and administration?
- Can the College spend its "Board Reserve Endowment" rather than decrease operating expenses in the year and years ahead?
- What percentage does Cars 4 Causes® spend on management and general expenses?
