Congress Got Richer During Recession

OpenSecrets:

WASHINGTON -- Members of Congress are enjoying their own financial stimulus.

Despite a stubbornly sour national economy congressional members' personal wealth collectively increased by more than 16 percent between 2008 and 2009, according to a new study by the Center for Responsive Politics of federal financial disclosures released earlier this year.

And while some members' financial portfolios lost value, no need to bemoan most lawmakers' financial lot: Nearly half of them -- 261 -- are millionaires, a slight increase from the previous year, the Center's study finds. That compares to about 1 percent of Americans who lay claim to the same lofty fiscal status.

Read the whole story: OpenSecrets

Comments

[Opinionated1111]

12:15 AM on 11/19/2010

Sorry hrpmap - didn't read your post - before I put my 2-cents in......LOL - obviously I agree with you though.......

[Opinionated1111]

12:13 AM on 11/19/2010

THIS IS A SURPRISE - TO WHOM?????????????

[hrpmap]

06:37 PM on 11/18/2010

And this surprises who??

[hobo62]

05:04 PM on 11/18/2010

How about a constitutional amendment that members of Congress only get an allowance. No pay, just an allowance. No benefits, just and allowance. No perks, just an allowance. And they can only meet the first three weeks in a year. Allowance amount $250 dollars a day. I mean after all, it's public service right.

[ChristianCooper]

09:59 AM on 12/02/2010

Second that.

[blueeyedbull]

02:03 PM on 11/18/2010

Politics is a rich mans game.

[jojobinx]

01:41 PM on 11/18/2010

The government has become the playground of rich little men who have not grown up. Bunch of selfish brats who run around screaming, mine mine all mine.

[Steelsil]

12:37 PM on 11/18/2010

:...congressional members’ personal wealth collectively increased by more than 16 percent between 2008 and 2009,"  I see the system is working for some people.  I hope all of you swing voters who voted R in the last election are happy with the result.

[Comfortably Numb]

04:09 PM on 11/18/2010

nice spin, but it increased 16% under the D's control ... hope you're happy with the result.

[MauricioC]

12:36 PM on 11/18/2010

Really? I am truly shocked! Are you guys serious? Millionaires? No way......

[Pietro Potesta]

12:34 PM on 11/18/2010

As representation goes, millionaires don't need to worry...

[rikilii]

02:50 PM on 11/18/2010

If it bothers you so much, stop wasting your time posting on HuffPo and go out there and become a millionaire.

[Militant Leftist]

03:38 PM on 11/18/2010

Right, since class mobility is such a prevalent phenomena during the greatest economic downturn in nearly a century.

[jdmn17]

12:25 PM on 11/18/2010

Wow. I'm shocked. Insider trading, cushy relationships with Wall St and the banks. What a joke

[BJD44]

12:24 PM on 11/18/2010

***************************************************************************

And we wonder why these idiots don't understand what
us "normal" Americans are experiencing?!?!?!? They're
all sheltered from any type of "normal" life with their
wealth and life in the Washington, DC "bubble."

Why can't we seem to get anyone into Congress who
makes a more standard $30-$60K a year, huh? I just
can't seem to figure that one out.

No wonder I've just decided to quit voting anymore.
It's not worth it. Too much greed for money and power -
that's why our country is in such shambles.

It's gone beyond sickening anymore......

TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS REQUIRED.

*****************************************************************************

[edva]

12:13 PM on 11/18/2010

Marie Antoinette was just an amateur compared to these jackals.

[Safire]

11:49 AM on 11/18/2010

"In a Tense Interview With Spitzer, Rand Paul Can’t Name Specific Cut To Balance Budget Back in May, Senator-elect Rand Paul (R-KY) raised more than a few eyebrows when he backed Democratic efforts to prevent cuts to physician payments under a program called the sustained growth rate, or SGR. At one campaign event, Paul — an ophthalmologist who generated 50 percent of his practice from government reimbursements — said, “Physicians should be allowed to make a comfortable living,” conveniently disregarding his pledge to institute “across the board cuts” on government spending."

[Safire]

11:44 AM on 11/18/2010

Just ask rand Paul the Messiah of the Baggers, who is going to Washington to just shake it up! LOL

He is just another greedy politician looking out for his own monetary interests.

"In Tense Interview With Spitzer, Rand Paul Can’t Name Specific Cut To Balance Budget Back in May, Senator-elect Rand Paul (R-KY) raised more than a few eyebrows when he backed Democratic efforts to prevent cuts to physician payments under a program called the sustained growth rate, or SGR. At one campaign event, Paul — an ophthalmologist who generated 50 percent of his practice from government reimbursements — said, “Physicians should be allowed to make a comfortable living,” conveniently disregarding his pledge to institute “across the board cuts” on government spending."

HE should be allowed to make a "comfortable living". He wants to make sure those "socialist" Medicare dollars keep rolling in!

Defend that baggers!

[Wick Chambers]

11:41 AM on 11/18/2010

Exhibit A for the proposition that the environment in which our elected Representatives operate is polluted with corrupt and corruptinng incentives. To survive in that environment one would have to do what they do.. As long as money is allowed to talk the majority of American politicians will have no choice but to listen ..... carefully and obediently.

[Militant Leftist]

03:43 PM on 11/18/2010

Precisely why Citizens United needs to be abolished immediately and permanent, campaign finance reform needs implemented. There is no representative government in the U.S. while policy and financial favors can be purchased by the highest bidder.