Citizens Against Government Waste Names Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz July 2017 Porker of the Month
July 25 2017 - 10:43AM
Business Wire
Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) named former
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) its July 2017 Porker of the Month for
advocating for taxpayer-funded housing for members of Congress.
During an interview with The Hill on June 26, 2017, then-Rep.
Chaffetz said, “I really do believe Congress would be much better
served if there was a housing allowance for members of Congress.”
He admitted that the current political climate made such a proposal
legislatively arduous, but claimed that, “A $2,500 housing
allowance would be appropriate and a real help to have at least a
decent quality of life in Washington.”
Ironically, the interview was conducted four days before Rep.
Chaffetz resigned from Congress and abandoned his chairmanship of
the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight in order to
pursue a lucrative television career.
Perhaps his time in Washington has clouded now former Rep.
Chaffetz’s idea of what qualifies as a decent quality of life. For
example, his annual House salary of $174,000 was nearly three times
the median annual income of one of his former constituents.
Furthermore, there are ample reasons why Congress does not
deserve additional taxpayer benefits. The national debt nearly
doubled during Rep. Chaffetz’s time in Congress. Government-wide
improper payments have risen to $144 billion in FY 2016. Congress
has failed to complete its own budget process on time for 20
consecutive years, which mirrors Congress’s nearly 20-year failure
to balance the budget. A Gallup poll shows congressional job
approval at an embarrassing 19 percent.
Rep. Chaffetz is not the first congressman to propose additional
taxpayer-funded benefits. Former Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) made a
similar statement on April 3, 2014, just before his retirement.
CAGW President Tom Schatz said in a statement: “Public service
is about serving the public, not indulging one’s self on the
taxpayers’ dime. Members of Congress have shown themselves time and
time again to be underserving of any pay raise, let alone
additional perks beyond their free gym membership, subsidized
health insurance, and substantial retirement benefits. Instead of
focusing on themselves, they should be completely focused on
cutting wasteful spending, and CAGW’s Prime Cuts give them the
blueprint to do just that.”
For his thoughtless advocacy of a taxpayer-funded housing
stipend, CAGW names former Rep. Jason Chaffetz its July 2017 Porker
of the Month.
Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit
organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and
mismanagement in government. Porker of the Month is a dubious honor
given to lawmakers, government officials, and political candidates
who have shown a blatant disregard for the interests of
taxpayers.
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Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW)Curtis
Kalin, 202-467-5318