They rode into Washington on an anti-spending wave, but some House Republican freshmen are already enjoying one of the perks of incumbency, spending their office budgets on everything from $1,000-a-month car leases to pricey online advertising contracts.
At least 15 GOP freshmen have shelled out tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money on mass communication — or franking — designed to boost their exposure back home, even as they call for budget cuts and pared-back government spending, according to quarterly disbursement reports released by the House.
The biggest newly elected spender in this realm is Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who authorized spending $78,518 in taxpayer money on “mass mailings and communications” — just under $900 for every day he was in office during the first three months of his congressional career. Kinzinger sent a pamphlet to his constituents explaining “some of the ways we can help” in interactions with the government. Kinzinger also advertised the “state-of-the-art multimedia section” on his website.
His office told POLITICO in a statement that it has no more plans for franked mail after it sent a mailing to 217,000 houses across the district.
“Because many constituents were unaware of the assistance a congressional office can provide, the mailer our office sent informs residents that their congressional office is here to serve as a valuable resource for them on issues ranging from Medicare and Social Security to veterans’ benefits and immigration. Constituent services are our office’s top priority,” said Brook Hougesen, Kinzinger’s spokeswoman.
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