Russ Jones
OneNewsNow
2/6/2012
Eight freshman lawmakers have returned a significant portion of their unused office budgets to the U.S. Treasury — a move that one of them says is proof that the new crop of legislators is serious about reducing the national debt.
Tim Huelskamp (R-Kansas) joined with seven other members of Congress from across the nation in announcing Wednesday the return of more than $1 million in combined unused Member Representational Allowances (MRAs). Huelskamp pledged that after his first year in office he would return roughly ten percent of the $1.42 million allocated to his DC office and three other district offices in his home state.
“I think we need to send a message, and not to the American people — other than we’re serious about cutting spending. But I think it communicates the message to the president and all of the executive branch that it’s time to do more with less,” he contends. “We’re going to lead by example. Often times, members in Congress are usually saying, ‘Do as we say and not as we do’ — but in this case, we’re going to walk the walk and talk the talk.”…
…The average amount returned was $181,500 — about 12 percent of the members’ budgets.
The complete article is at OneNewsNow.
