237 millionaires in Congress

[emilyg]

As Washington reels from the news of 10.2 percent unemployment, the Center for Responsive Politics is out with a new report describing the wealth of members of Congress.


Among the highlights: Two-hundred-and-thirty-seven members of Congress are millionaires. That’s 44 percent of the body – compared to about 1 percent of Americans overall.


CRP says California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is the richest lawmaker on Capitol Hill, with a net worth estimated at about $251 million. Next in line: Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), worth about $244.7 million; Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), worth about $214.5 million; Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), worth about $209.7 million; and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), worth about $208.8 million.


All told, at least seven lawmakers have net worths greater than $100 million, according to the Center’s 2008 figures.


“Many Americans probably have a sense that members of Congress aren’t hurting, even if their government salary alone is in the six figures, much more than most Americans make,” said CRP spokesman Dave Levinthal. “What we see through these figures is that many of them have riches well beyond that


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29235.html

[virgogal]

1. Makes you wonder if they have the slightest idea what it is like for most

of us.

[emilyg]

15. How can they. They don't go

hungry, worry about living paycheck to paycheck.

[earth mom]

2. What's Obama worth? nt

[FrenchieCat]

7. He's worth more than Biden!

I think 2007 marked the year that he made big money in books sales.

[emilyg]

13. Think the article said $4 mil

[earth mom]

17. Thanks, I should have read it first. Interesting that Obama is the 6th wealthiest.

And Bidens net worth is only 27K. Sorry, but I don't believe that for a minute.

[salguine]

3. And they still graciously allow us to pay for their socialized medicine. The same that

they won't allow us to have ourselves. Motherfuckers.

[Kansas Wyatt]

21. Can we get a national vote to install what your picture depicts...

On the steps of the Capital?

Hopefully they would get the point and make a quick exit from "public service." It could stay to be a reminder to the next bunch of what could happen if they ignore the people, so they could keep their priorities straight.

[The Straight Story]

4. K&R (nt)

[nc4bo]

5. Eeeerrr - Nope, not like us. At least most of us. Not one fricking bit.

And we expect these creatures to vote for the things that WE want?!

Oh hell no they won't. It'll take a lot more than phone calls, emails and letters to move their asses on anything NOT in THEIR best interests.

BOO!

[patrice]

6. NO Kings & NO Fucking Royalty either!!!

:grr:

[Bozita]

8. ... of the rich people, by the rich people, for the rich people ...

That explains the House healthcare bill.

[pscot]

9. No wonder they're so eager to cut taxes

for the top 1%. That would be themselves.

[libodem]

10. Go figure

Betcha they are all anti-government, too. Pro-lobby money takin' and Corporate-Welfare Fascist's Representatives. Not the People's Representatives. Money talks and Bullshit walks.

[ProSense]

11. Why does the media pull out this story on the verge of every major vote? What the hell does it mean?

Grayson is worth $31 million and Baucus is in the red.

Among executive branch officials, CRP says the richest is Securities and Exchange Commission Chairwoman Mary L. Schapiro, with a net worth estimated at $26 million.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is next, worth an estimated $21 million. President Barack Obama is the sixth-wealthiest, worth about an estimated $4 million. Vice President Joe Biden has often tagged himself as an original blue collar man. The CRP backs him up, putting his net worth at just $27,000.

He’s hardly the worst off.

Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), freshman Rep. Harry Teague (D-N.M.), Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), Rep. John Salazar (D-Colo.) and Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) each a net worth of less than zero, CRP says.

Seriously what does any of this mean?

[rhett o rick]

12. Not really what our founding fathers had in mind. nt

[ProSense]

14. There is nothing in the Constitution that prevents weatlhy people from running for office.

People still have to vote for them in order for them to win.

[rhett o rick]

23. Of course what yu say is true. but the idea of the HOR was to have regular working people

being representatives not millionaires.

[Telly Savalas]

16. I'm surprised there aren't more.

For normal people that aren't sitting on a pile of money, quitting your job and spending 8 months on the campaign trail in the hopes of landing a two year gig just isn't feasible. When you combine this with the large volume of bullshit someone running for office has to deal with, I think we're missing out on a large talent pool of people who would be very effective as members of Congress but don't want to subject themselves to a political campaign.

I don't have any good ideas on how you'd fix this though.

[RB TexLa]

18. Why do they count their spouses wealth as their own? Both Harman and Kerry have money but it's

their spouses that have the bulk of the wealth.

[DJ13]

19. I think a more interesting metric would be how many

..... became millionaires after becoming Congress members.

The pay isnt high enough to become a millionaire unless you served a decade or more and was extremely frugal.

You want to gauge corruption, theres a metric.

[tonysam]

20. No wonder they can drag their rear ends on extended UI.

Few of them ever have to worry about paying the rent or the utilities.

No wonder representatives in both parties are so out of touch.

[TiredOldMan]

22. You said it! They have no idea of the worries we face each day.