Congressional Fraud, Waste and Abuse

In the Navy it seemed every supply office or storeroom would have a poster listing a toll free number you could call to report Fraud, Waste and Abuse. It originated from the loss prevention belief that if we cut down on small losses everywhere it will add up to large savings fleet wide. Well, they need to post those Fraud, Waste and Abuse posters in every congressional office. Here is an article detailing some expenses congresscritters paid out of money confiscated from tax payers.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) spent $2,993 in taxpayer money on flowers between June and October. House Majority Whip James Clyburn has a thing for Chantilly Donuts, spending about $265 at the Virginia shop in the past quarter. And Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), a fiscal conservative, decided to give about $2,000 in unused office funds back to the government to help reduce the deficit.

These expenditures – culled from thousands of line items released Monday by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House – are just a fraction of the $300 million spent last quarter by House offices. But while the bulk of congressional office spending goes to salaries and routine office expenses, some of the line items offer a window into the personalities and priorities of each congressional office.

Pelosi, who has come under fire in the past for spending on flowers, also spent roughly $30,610 in food and beverage and about $2,740 on bottled water, contributing to the nearly $120,531 total from all congressional leadership accounts. Her offices defended the charges, saying the Speaker’s office holds more ceremonial events with visiting dignitaries than other congressional offices. They also use a local florist, and about a third of her flower expenses this quarter were for Jack Kemp’s funeral.

Hey Nancy, Guess what? If one of my friends dies and I want to send flowers I pay for them. You are not honoring Jack Kemp (a fiscal conservative) by sending him flowers with money stolen from taxpayers. She and 99% of the rest of congress should be locked up for theft.

The national deficit would go away in time if our elected representatives respected the value of each dollar and only spent taxpayer money on matters the federal government is constitutionally required to handle. Unfortunately, the mindset is "Hey, we routinely waste millions, sometimes billions, so why should we worry about thousands." Well, believe it or not pennies become dollars. Every candidate for office should be asked if they will respect the value of every dollar spent.