Members of Congress Get Cars (and Gas) for Free

Update:

This post has been one of our most active, with hundreds of views since I wrote it.  It’s no surprise, with gas approach $4.00 in our town (Durham, NC), and with the airwaves bloated with promises by Congress and the Presidential candidates promising to “do something.”  I’d rather these elected officials stop spending our money on themselves, and start really feeling our pain by pumping their own gas with their own money.

Aneil

In yet another example of the hypocrisy exhibited by our elected Federal representatives (in this case Representatives), members of Congress can receive free leases, gasoline and maintenance on just about any car they’d like to drive while in office, according to today’s New York Times:

Modest or more luxurious, the cars are all paid for by taxpayers. The use of a car — gas included — is one of the benefits of being a member of the House of Representatives.

There are few restrictions on what kind of car the members can choose, and there is no limit on how much they can spend. But the benefit can be politically sensitive, given the growing concerns about automobile emissions and an economy that has left many people struggling to pay for the rapidly rising cost of gas, which was averaging $3.63 a gallon nationwide earlier this week.

Not only does the federal government pick up the cost of the lease and the gas, but also general maintenance, insurance, registration fees and excess mileage charges. The perk itself may draw heightened attention in the coming weeks as members of Congress consider proposals to address gas prices, including one to suspend temporarily the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon.

Congressional records show that about 125 members of the House make use of the benefit, which has been in place since at least the 1980s and is part of the allowance provided for their office operations. They include Representatives Charlie Melancon of Louisiana (2007 Chevy Tahoe), Bobby L. Rush of Illinois (2007 Lincoln Navigator) and Alcee L. Hastings of Florida (2006 Infiniti M45).

The Senate does not permit its members to lease cars with public money.

With gasoline on its way to $4.00 a gallon, the cost of food and other basic necessities rapidly inflating, and the economy significantly weakening if not in actual recession, this perk is yet reminder that Federally-elected representatives live in another world than the rest of us. It’s no wonder that trust in government is at an all-time low, according to the latest Edelman survey.

Aneil