Well, no not really. Did you honestly think that would happen? I ran across the latest legislation passed on Friday which included their budget for 2009/2010 fiscal year. Blood shot out of my eyes. I’m including a few of the great highlights but you can find the full text here.
HOUSE LEADERSHIP OFFICES
For salaries and expenses, as authorized by law, $25,881,000, including: Office of the Speaker, $5,077,000, including $25,000 for official expenses of the Speaker; Office of the Majority Floor Leader, $2,530,000, including $10,000 for official expenses of the Majority Leader; Office of the Minority Floor Leader, $4,565,000, including $10,000 for official expenses of the Minority Leader; Office of the Majority Whip, including the Chief Deputy Majority Whip, $2,194,000, including $5,000 for official expenses of the Majority Whip; Office of the Minority Whip, including the Chief Deputy Minority Whip, $1,690,000, including $5,000 for official expenses of the Minority Whip; Speaker’s Office for Legislative Floor Activities, $517,000; Republican Steering Committee, $981,000; Republican Conference, $1,748,000; Republican Policy Committee, $362,000; Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, $1,366,000; Democratic Caucus, $1,725,000; nine minority employees, $1,552,000; training and program development–majority, $290,000; training and program development–minority, $290,000; Cloakroom Personnel–majority, $497,000; and Cloakroom Personnel–minority, $497,000.
All this for a grand total of $1,375,200,000! Can’t wait to see the fight on the Senate floor about how we must all sacrifice and tighten our belts because our country is in a recession. We can’t expect to live like we did before, right? We have to give up our piece of the pie, right? I’m so glad the House is becoming models of thriftiness.
Quick list:
Members Clerk Hire, Official of Expenses Members, and Official Mail: $660,000,000
Allowances and Expences: $317,840,000
Botanic Garden: $11,263,000 not to be mistaken for
Capital Grounds: $10,920,000
And my personal favorite:
SEC. 102. Effective with respect to fiscal year 2010 and each succeeding fiscal year, the aggregate amount otherwise authorized to be appropriated for a fiscal year for the lump-sum allowance for each of the following offices is increased as follows:
(2) The allowance for the office of the Minority Whip is increased by $96,000.
Republicans who voted in favor of this legislation are as follows:
Robert Aderholt (AL) Donald Young (AK)
Jerry Lewis (CA) Ander Crenshaw (FL)
C.W. Young (FL) Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL)
Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL) Mario Diaz-Balart (FL)
Michael Simpson (ID) Mark Kirk (IL)
Thomas Latham (IA) Anh Cao (LA)
Joanne Emerson (MO) Leonard Lance (NJ)
Tom Cole (OK) Zach Wamp (TN)
John Carter (TX) Shelley Capito (WV)
Steve Maley
Moe Lane
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
My fav......
Kenny Solomon (Diary) Sunday, June 21st at 7:06AM EST (link)Cloakroom Personnel–majority, $497,000; and Cloakroom Personnel–minority, $497,000.
Must be one heck of a gig……. especially with the tips around the Winter holiday celebration about the guy who’s name nobody dares to mention.
Not that I’m being sarcastic or anything, because I’m not………. Hey……… You……. Yeah, you…….. Traitors on The Hill…….. HANG UP YOUR OWN DAMN TRENCH COAT !
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I’d say that was a fairly decent snark at 7am , sans coffee.
How many interns does it take to hang up a coat in Washington?
Karina (Diary) Sunday, June 21st at 8:15AM EST (link)Ty for the rec!
This just makes all their preaching so much more obnoxious!