The House wants to increase Members’ office budgets next fiscal year by almost 15 percent, partly because 2010 is an election year and lawmakers anticipate a surge in franked mail.
In a recently released budget request, the House Chief Administrative Officer asked appropriators to raise the Members’ Representational Allowances — which fund everything needed to run offices, including salaries, travel and supplies — by $90 million, citing increases “due to the election year cycle.”
$90 million tax-payer dollars to help incumbents get re-elected? Is that even legal? It leaves challengers at a huge disadvantage because they don't have access to our money to mount campaigns. The reason the members can get away with this sort of thing is because the House writes the bills and to overturn one, it's got to be either vetoed or it has to be taken to court, and Obama isn't likely to veto a spending bill that helps maintain or increase the democrat strangle-hold of Congress, and by the time it runs through the courts, the elections will be over.
Nancy is shocked, shocked that anyone would question her ethics.Ed Morrissey over at Hotair has a really good take on this. Check it out.
No comments:
Post a Comment