[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 33 (Thursday, March 1, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IMPORTANCE OF FISCAL DISCIPLINE IN OUR OFFICES

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                        HON. TIMOTHY V. JOHNSON

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 1, 2012

  Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an 
issue that is of principal importance to our fiscal situation today in 
this Congress. I am referring to our own fiscal responsibility within 
the confines of our Congressional offices.
   According to the Chicago Tribune, the number of members from 
Illinois that have returned more than one million dollars from their 
office accounts, called Member representational allowances, or MRA 
account only totals four members. They are Congressmen Costello, 
Jackson, Manzullo and I. I encourage my fellow colleagues from my home 
state, and those across the county, to accept my challenge to strive 
for this respectable marker, to ensure the general public that we in 
Congress can also ``Live within our means.'' We ask those who we serve, 
our constituents to make sacrifices to do so, and therefore we are 
expected to do the same in return.
   I understand that returning this money will not offset our debts 
significantly and is a nominal amount when compared to our ever 
increasing colossal debt. But, the country and our citizenry demand a 
Congress that is in tune with their needs and values. Consequently, 
fiscal responsibility is tantamount to operating a home and a business, 
and we as leaders should make an effort, no matter how minuscule, in 
order to gain back the public's trust in this government.
   I thank you Mr. Speaker for allowing me to speak on this issue. I 
praise my Colleagues from Illinois that are motivated to pursue 
fiscally responsible policies, and I encourage all Members of Congress 
as a whole, to follow our example.

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