IT’S GOOD TO BE THE NOMENKLATURA: Congressional Perks: House account spending jumped 21% in 2022.

The Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA) provides each of the 435 U.S. representatives in Congress about $2 million a year to pay staff, travel, buy equipment and run their Washington, D.C., and district offices, giving members wide latitude on how to spend the money within House ethics and administration committee rules. Districts receive different amounts depending on cost of living and distance from Washington, D.C., but lawmakers aren’t required to spend all of it – and some do not.

Each member is required to disclose his or her spending, and The Center Square found significant spending on private jet travel, luxury car leasing, meals and catering, questionable mileage reimbursements and subscriptions to news outlets that were recommended for cuts in the executive branch under the Department of Government Efficiency. There was also at least $50 million spent on partisan and issue-specific caucuses.

On top of about $810 million in 2024 for individual lawmakers’ office accounts, the House appropriates billions more for other operations of the House, including perks like a childcare center and an office of attending physician so members didn’t have to deal with waiting for a primary care.

David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, a non-partisan, nonprofit that looks out for the use of taxpayer money, said there needs to be a review of all the Congressional spending after The Center Square told him about some of the disbursements detailed in the House office accounts.

Yes, please.