Millionaire Dem Congresswomen and Matt Gaetz Among Those to Take Advantage of Congressional Allowance for Food, Housing
Two hundred and seventeen members of Congress including millionaire Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA) and Katherine Clark (D-MA) as well as self-professed good government crusader Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) have drawn upon a taxpayer-funded subsidy to defray members’ food and housing costs.
According to a report from the Washington Free Beacon based upon House disbursement records, the trio are far from alone; 113 Democrats and 104 Republicans have used a program that allows members to access up to $34,000 to help cover the costs associated with working in Washington, D.C..
Per the Free Beacon:
Recipients of these funds include at least 17 millionaire Democrats, including Rep. Katie Porter, who reported a net worth of up to $1.8 million in her latest financial disclosure, and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D., Mass.), who boasts a net worth of up to $13.5 million.
Porter is presently running for Senate in California after spending years cultivating a public image as a populist progressive. Clark is the second highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives.
The conservative-leaning outlet also took a shot at Gaetz, who it identified as having “received the largest share of funds out of any lawmaker.” Between January and May, Gaetz spent a combined $23,200 of taxpayer funds outside of his salary on meals and housing.
Gaetz is the son of Don Gaetz, a former President of the Florida Senate who was one of three co-founders of VITAS Healthcare Corporation, a hospice company which was sold in 2004 for over $400 million.
The Florida congressman has frequently accused his political opponents of corruption and profiting off of their offices. Earlier this month, Gaetz led an effort to expel Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the House speakership.
“He’s [McCarthy’s] the product of a corrupt system that rewards people who collect large sums of special interest money and then redistribute that money in exchange for political loyalty and political favors,” Gaetz told reporters in late September.
In a statement given to the Free Beacon, Gaetz said that he’s “complied with the law.”
“And my cooking is often with discount BOGO [Buy One, Get One] products. I try to do the best in the kitchen from the BOGO life,” he added.
