What Congress Is Doing With $1 Billion Of YOUR Tax Dollars

AOL News:

Together, the Sunlight Foundation's three databases of this internal congressional spending -- prepared in coordination with the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call -- show what the House spent on itself in the last six months of 2009 and first three months of 2010. The files provide an unprecedented window on what legislators buy themselves with your money, and AOL News wanted to know what kinds of eye-opening details they might contain. After combing through the info, we found plenty, from the House's bill for bottled water purchases to what it coughed up for new drapes.

Read the whole story: AOL News

Comments

[msbeal]

10:25 AM on 07/22/2010

How about an expose on what the oil corporations are doing with the money they steal from us because of their monopolies.

[AZreb]

08:13 AM on 07/22/2010

Don't forget that we, the taxpayers, subsidize 75% of the health care insurance costs for Congressional members - and their other goodies like free postage (junk mail).

Are we getting value for our dollars?

[Zip Ominous]

11:11 PM on 07/21/2010

Bush used helicopters to carry $9 billion in cash to Baghdad, which was handed-out to crony contractors and "lost" without a trace.

Nobody in either party cared. Nuffington Pghost keeps trying to delete this comment.

What does that tell you about the press & Congress?

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/10/iraq_billions200710

[Vlad Tepes]

10:36 PM on 07/21/2010

Congress is having a party with our money and we are not invited.

[deepintheheartoftejas]

08:48 PM on 07/21/2010

I'm most offended by the billion of tax-payer dollars spent every two and a half days for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. We could have provided world-class healthcare to every single American, and have enough left over for 1st class plane tickets for every trip of every member of Congress. Heck, we could probably also have afforded daily blow jobs for the Born-again caucus of Republicans in congress as well.

I'm not saying we've done nothing good in Iraq or Afghanistan; we have. There was a news report last month of some kittens who were rescued in Kabul. I think even the stingiest person would acknowledge that $500 million spent to find good homes for a litter of kittens is money well-spent.

[InYourWorld]

07:54 PM on 07/21/2010

It's always easy to spend other people's money!

Really a couple billion is peanuts compared to what we give the banks on Wall Street, and the no bid contracts that BOTH parties seem to favor.

Of course a billion dollars could give every state 2 million for schools or something....

[uniquindividual]

07:18 PM on 07/21/2010

What, they shouldn't travel? They should pay to travel home, therefore only the wealthy can afford to serve? They should not have a staff? They should not have web sites, Email or Regular mail services.

This is a big country with more than 500 legislators.

The article is hyperbole cr@%.

[hobo62]

07:15 PM on 07/21/2010

I propose putting a Congressional office on a budget. Say about 300 dollars a week on the average.
Thats enough for the unemployed to live on and what's good for the goose should be good for the gangster.

[uniquindividual]

07:19 PM on 07/21/2010

You are not being realistic or thoughtful

[jdevans]

06:08 PM on 07/21/2010

Red States take more federal tax dollars than they pay.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/04/the_red_state_ripoff.html

[rikster]

06:06 PM on 07/21/2010

soaking up the oil in the gulf..?

[Knowbetter]

04:50 PM on 07/21/2010

Treasure Bath!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTH8_elwCpA

[amaboss52]

04:29 PM on 07/21/2010

I'm saying we all of us need to march on Washington in a big big way. This kind of waste is despicable, especially now with whats going on in the economy. The greedy losers, R & D aren't doing due diligence with regard to OUR money. These porkers think it is a free for all on our dime. We are getting what we asked for, we keep voting in the same old greedy, do nothings over and over again. It boils down to us taking back control of our government any way we can. Armed insurrection anyone?

[ZenFUel]

10:39 PM on 07/22/2010

“1 billion a year congress spends vs. 7 Billion a month in afghanistan ...???? this is the story??? can i throw up now ??? grrrrrrr”

[peowlemeow]

04:04 PM on 07/21/2010

They've pissed it all away.

[smchp]

03:52 PM on 07/21/2010

Btw, Obama just signed into law today the most sweeping financial reform since the great depression. But that's not important to HuffPuff because all I see are hard hitting fluff pieces.

Heck of a job Arr i ann a!

[FOXYROSE]

03:35 PM on 07/21/2010

DISPICABLE PIGS AT THE TROUGH! These parasites have way too many perks and way too much control over OUR money!

[GunnyJ]

03:56 PM on 07/21/2010

And there seems to be nothing we can do about it!

[ZenFUel]

10:39 PM on 07/22/2010

“1 billion a year congress spends vs. 7 Billion a month in afghanistan ...???? this is the story??? can i throw up now ??? grrrrrrr”

[ZenFUel]

10:39 PM on 07/22/2010

“1 billion a year congress spends vs. 7 Billion a month in afghanistan ...???? this is the story??? can i throw up now ??? grrrrrrr”