Many of you might have heard…actually never mind, I highly doubt you’ve heard this one. Back at the end of 2022, Democrats on the House Administration Committee proposed a new rule that could lead to a $34,000 increase in pay subsidized by you, the taxpayer.
The rule was passed without debate in a package of internal rules that never saw the light of public view and, indeed, wasn’t even revealed to other rank-and-file House members until weeks later in January. The backroom deal allows House members to claim expense reimbursement, up to $258 and $79 per diem for lodging and meals, respectively.
Now, you may be saying to yourself, “seems reasonable, why should I care?” Certainly, members of Congress should be able to be reimbursed for expenses paid out of pocket, even if the combined per diem of $337 seems a bit high. You may even have the ability to fill out expense reports at your own place of employment for similar expenses. The problem, the sleight of hand, or what I’d call blatant fraud comes in the details. The devil is always in the details.
The new rule allows the $337 “reimbursement” to be paid automatically. As usual, the government just redefines definitions of words when they become inconvenient. The new free cheese “does not require the submission of receipts to reduce burdens and address the potential security risks.” In other words, Congress just changed the definition of “reimburse” from “repay” to just “pay”.
Rather than openly debate the merits of a pay raise through the usual legislative process, which would likely get the general public up in arms given the 75% Congressional disapproval rating in January 2023, the House Administration Committee instead just amended their own rule book to get around having to discuss a pay hike. The justification given for the raise, er-hem, “reimbursement” was based on a House report lamenting higher “cost of living” in Washington D.C. and wanting to “modernize” many things about Congress, even though the Congressional salary of $174,000 is nearly 3x higher than the median U.S. income. Never mind the fact that over half of Congress are millionaires. In total, each member of Congress could potentially claim “reimbursement” on $34,000 annually.
We once again see evidence showing how our supposed “elected servants” continue to serve themselves instead of the people electing them. Also on display is a flagrant example of our two-tiered justice system. I personally dare you to try and claim work expenses without receipts. See how quickly that gets found out. You’d no doubt be reprimanded, and probably fired. Better yet, try and claim $34,000 in tax credits on your next federal return, and see how fast an IRS agent shows up to your door. Not for members of Congress though. Our supposed leaders who, like you and me, are definitely not above the law, continue to show how they are above the law by relabeling “blatant fraud” as “automatic reimbursement.”
https://nypost.com/2023/04/30/congress-unconstitutional-pay-scam-gets-members-34k-raises/
Liberty Matters 