WT:
Sen. Joni Ernst announced Tuesday she plans to introduce the ‘Squeal’ Act to cut expenditures for lawmakers
“It is the Stop Questionable, Unnecessary and Excessive Allowances for Legislators Act. There exists on the books a tax deduction, specifically for members of Congress. They can deduct up to $3,000 dollars of expenses from their taxes. Regular people out there can’t apply for this, only legislators,” Ms. Ernst, Iowa Republican, said on Fox News.
Cut ’em, Joni! ….Lady in Red
That will make make speaker ryan squeal.
More than half of congress are $Millionaires and they all spend many times more than that each election cycle.
Let’s see who squeals the loudest.
How many of these $Millionaires donate their Salary like President Trump? OK how about a portion of their salary?
Congress must live with the same laws and regulations as they force down our throats. Any special provisions they write for themselves apply to us as well. They are not special, or royalty. Bastards!!
It looks like Joni could whack a few more elite congressional perks. The elite take care of their own in salary, perks and judicial matters.
Being a member of Congress (535 (House and Senate)) remains a surprisingly sweet gig.
Members-only parking spaces, elevators, dining rooms and exercise facilities to which all legislators — past and present — enjoyed lifetime access.
Former lawmakers could also return to the floor of the House or Senate whenever they liked.
Cadillac Healthcare supplement.
Preferential treatment from Airlines.
Free Death benefits – $174,000 for rank and file legislators, and more for those in leadership positions.
Fully Vested in a lucrative retirement fund after serving 5 years. Retire at age 50. Retirement is 80 percent of the last salary paid.
In the House, representatives are allowed to spend more than $900,000 on salaries for up to 18 permanent employees. They get about a quarter-million dollars more for office expenses, including travel, and additional funding for a well-known congressional perk known as “franking.” Franking is the term for the mass constituent mail sent out by members of Congress and paid for courtesy of the taxpayer.
Senators enjoy the same privilege but get a much bigger allowance for their office expenses. According to a Congressional Research Service report, the average allocation for fiscal 2010 was more than $3.3 million. Personnel money varies depending on how big of a state a senator represents — a senator from New York is going to get more than a senator from Montana. But for starters, each senator is given a $500,000 budget to hire up to three legislative assistants.
Plus senators get to shop at the equivalent of Congress’ IKEA — furniture supplied through the Architect of the Capitol. Every senator gets $40,000 — and potentially more — for furniture in their home-state offices.
Free meals at legislative dining hall.
Free healthcare. Lucrative 401K plan.
But Boehner gets an additional benefit: Up to $1 million per year for up to five years after he leaves the office to “facilitate the administration, settlement and conclusion of matters pertaining to or arising out of” his tenure as speaker of the House, according to a little known law.
Also, kick them in the dicks! The men, too.
@cato
Add this: Congress makes its own rules about the handling of sexual complaints against members and staff, passing laws exempting it from practices that apply to other employers.
The result is a culture in which some lawmakers suspect harassment is rampant. Yet victims are unlikely to come forward, according to attorneys who represent them.
Under a law in place since 1995, accusers may file lawsuits only if they first agree to go through months of counseling and mediation. A special congressional office is charged with trying to resolve the cases out of court.
When settlements do occur, members do not pay them from their own office funds, a requirement in other federal agencies. Instead, the confidential payments come out of a special U.S. Treasury fund.
Congressional employees have received small settlements, compared with the amounts some public figures pay out. Between 1997 and 2014, the U.S. Treasury has paid $15.2 million in 235 awards and settlements for Capitol Hill workplace violations, according to the congressional Office of Compliance. The statistics do not break down the exact nature of the violations.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-congress-plays-by-different-rules-on-sexual-harassment-and-misconduct/2017/10/26/2b9a8412-b80c-11e7-9e58-e6288544af98_story.html
parasites & leeches stealing our money … & expecting us to thank them for it
… Drain the Swamp!
Good job Joni! And sure to make them squeal!
Even if this gets passed, and I won’t hold my breath, it will go the way of the STOCK (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) act which was passed in 2012 and then very quietly gutted in 2013.
http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2013/04/16/177496734/how-congress-quietly-overhauled-its-insider-trading-law