‘I can’t afford an apartment’: Congressmen sleeping in offices cry poverty

nypost ^ | 05/01/2018 | Marisa Schultz

[VTenigma]

Post of the day, LOL.

[lurk]

House them in barracks at Quantico, with shuttle service thrice daily. Let them shop at the PX. Throw them out if they say or do anything disrespectful to the Marines.

[lakecumberlandvet]

Congress critters should stay in their home states and conduct their business electronically. Problem solved.

[Iron Munro]

Graft must be way down since Trump took office.

[surrey]

My husband was transferred to No. Virginia in 1976. We lived on Long Island at the time and thought it would be much cheaper living Virginia. Boy, were we in for a shock. The cost of housing was off the charts. It was a little better if went to the further suburbs of Reston and Herndon but he wanted to be near his office in Falls Church. We found a house in Falls Church, in our price range,but it was 1/2 the size of our house on Long Island. I hated it there but within 14 months we were agin transferred to the Philly area.

[Company Man]

This practice is not new...

[Sooth2222]

"What makes overnights in the office possible is Congress’ members-only gym in the basement of the Rayburn House Office Building. With an annual fee of roughly $300, members have access to showers, laundry and lockers."

That, and Congress's own value-priced priced restaurants!

"The House of Representatives has averaged 138 "legislative days" a year since 2001, according to records kept by the Library of Congress. That's about one day of work every three days, or fewer than three days a week. The Senate, on the other hand, was in session an average of 162 days a year over the same time period."

Less than 3 days a week. And the "work week" starts late, so congresscritters can fly in to DC in the morning. And ends early, so they can catch a flight out of town in the afternoon.

So cry me a river. They want a raise. For the quality of work that they do?

Eff 'em.

[cgbg]

Ironically, it's Congress that has made the area so expensive. The way they expanded government has brought in lobbyists from every industry seeking to fill their pockets with taxpayer money. If the federal government only did what they are proscribed to do in the Constitution, and left everything else to the states, as intended, Washington would be a relatively small and affordable city.

You nailed it--they need to slash the federal budget--or stop the whining...

[Sequoyah101]

Boo hoo. Why is it that most of the sobs come out of office much richer than they were when they entered? Hmmmmm?

Cue up the very small violin. I can’t possibly care no less.

[Vendome]

I don’t blame them

I would do the same thing. ..

[ExTxMarine]

I LIKE IT!

Even the Constitution only says they must meet at least ONCE a year...the rest of the time have them remote in!!

[Sequoyah101]

Sounds reasonable.

[Vendome]

Funny

My mind ran to that and Cindy Crawford...

[Sequoyah101]

Problem is, it would be gold plated in no time at all. The sobs can milk anything.

How about we just let them stay home and have virtual meetings of Congress and just meet in Washington one month a year? Say, August in DC?

[NorthMountain]

Part of the problem, here, is that Congress is in session all year. It’s a full time job. They should have to go home most of the year, and live with the laws that they pass.

[caseinpoint]

I don’t have much sympathy for young congresscritters. They are there because they either want to be career politicians or they are using the office as a stepping stone to lucrative private lobbying or contractor positions. I hate to be ageist but I prefer politicians who have been down with the struggle for a couple of decades or more before they start tampering with my life.

[PGR88]

I actually do sympathize with them.

Why would any normal citizen want to run for Congress? If you have a good job, it certainly won’t pay better. Washington DC, the center of the Empire, is very high priced, and only getting more pricey. You have to spend 2 years constantly campaigning and fund-raising. If you are a conservative, the hate within DC and from the vast leftist free-shit army, and the media will be non-stop. Sadlly, all of that creates the sense in many ex-Congressmen that they are entitled to future lobbying jobs.

Just another of 1000 ways our government is steadily becoming only a place for the rich and connected.

[The Deplorable Miss Lemon]

“It might be best if each state established an embassy in D.C. where their Senators, Representative and other dignitaries could stay for free. Making them a little beholden to the people they claim to represent.”

___________________________

That’s an excellent idea, and let the individual states keep and maintain them.

[shanover]

Congress should only meet biannually or triannually. They don't need to give us cr*p that nothing would get done. It's called time management and priorities. If there needs to be special session, then the President or Majority Leader call it. FedGov needs to be severly LIMITED as per the FOUNDING and slashed by half while abolishing the stupid alphabet agencies would be wonderful. Congress is worthless, overpaid and an embarrassment. Federal workers are some the RICHEST per capita people in America! Washington DC is a disgrace and insult to President George Washington and the Constitution as designed by Jefferson, Madison, Morris, Paine etc. Every signer would be appalled of the USA in 2018.

[FES0844]

Waste, Fraud & Abuse, Greta gets my vote. Disability fraud Judge Judy!