[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 31 (Friday, March 8, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H2032-H2033]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DO NOT HAVE TO SPEND TAXPAYER DOLLARS JUST BECAUSE 
             THEY HAVE A TAXPAYER-FUNDED EXPENSE ALLOWANCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Browder] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BROWDER. Mr. Speaker, today is, for me, personally, one of my 
finest moments on the floor of Congress since my 1989 special election.
  Today, I become the founder, president, and only member of my self-
declared ``Million Dollar Turnback Club.''
  Just yesterday, I received notice from the Committee on House 
Oversight that the unspent balance from my representational allowance 
for 1995 is $198,990.30.
  These 1995 savings, or unspent allowance, bring my total turnback to 
$1.2 million since I entered Congress in 1989.
  As many people know, congressional offices are allowed approximately 
$838,000 a year for office expenses, staff, and postage. The amount 
when I first came to Congress was about $500,000. So, my total turnback 
amount means that I saved, or did not spend, about a

[[Page H2033]]

quarter out of every dollar that I could have spent during that time.
  When I first came to Congress, the political consultants told me to 
spend every dime of my representational allowance--send out mass 
mailings, hire all the staff you can, anything to boost your name 
identification and get you reelected. But, I did not want to do it that 
way.
  I have always remembered that the money we use is taxpayers' money 
and they expect us to use it wisely and frugally. I made it a practice 
to watch my office expenses and provide the best service possible at 
the lowest cost possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to enter into the Record a letter from the 
National Taxpayers Union, which says, in part:

       Dear Representative Browder: I have just learned of your 
     most recent effort to save taxpayer dollars through the 
     frugal use of your congressional office account. Returning 
     over $200,000, about 25 percent of your allotted budget, is 
     certainly worthy of our thanks and praise. Your efforts are 
     especially rewarding for taxpayers because the money returned 
     must, for the first time, be used for deficit reduction.
       Your wise use of funds over which you have direct control 
     has resulted in, as I understand it, the return of over $1 
     million to the U.S. Treasury in the last 5 years. That's a 
     fine record that your constituents can reflect on with pride.

  So, today I am going to sign this facsimile check for $1 million to 
the American taxpayer.
  Clearly, not every Member of Congress can take the approach that I 
have taken because of their own philosophy of representation or the 
nature of their districts. And taxpayers know that I am not Ed McMahon 
and they are not going to be receiving this check in the mail.
  But I want to dramatize this moment to demonstrate that we do not 
have to spend taxpayer dollars just because we have a taxpayer-funded 
expense allowance. And I also want our taxpayers to know that many of 
us do put public service above our own political careers.

                                     National Taxpayers Union,

                                                 February 9, 1996.
     Hon. Glen Browder,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Rayburn House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Browder: I have just learned of your 
     most recent effort to save taxpayer dollars through the 
     frugal use of your Congressional office account. Returning 
     over $200,000, about 25 percent of your allotted budget, is 
     certainly worthy of our thanks and praise. Your efforts are 
     especially rewarding for taxpayers because the money returned 
     must, for the first time, be used for deficit reduction.
       Your wise use of funds over which you have direct control 
     has resulted in, as I understand it, the return of over $1 
     million to the U.S. Treasury in the last 5 years. That's a 
     fine record that your constituents can reflect on with pride.
       As you know, the National Taxpayers Union has for several 
     years supported legislation by Representatives Tim Roemer and 
     Dick Zimmer to ensure that any and all unused office funds 
     returned by thrifty Members go only to reduce our annual 
     deficits. You have contributed greatly to further that drive 
     and we are most appreciative.
       Again, please accept our thanks and compliments for your 
     frugal management efforts as well as for your legislative 
     leadership on this issue.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Al Cors, Jr.,
     Director, Government Relations.

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