It’s no secret that many members of the U.S. House and Senate are millionaires – 47 percent of them – their salaries paid in part by the American taxpayers.
The Center for Responsive Politics has crunched the numbers and released the results on its Open Secrets blog:
“About 47 percent of Congress, or 249 current members are millionaires. … In 2010, the estimated median net worth of a current U.S. senator stood at an average of $2.56 million,” according to the Center’s research.
“Despite the global economic meltdown in 2008 and the sluggish recovery that followed, that’s up about 7.6 percent from an estimated median net worth of $2.38 million in 2009 … and up 13 percent from a median net worth of $2.27 million in 2008. …
Fully 36 Senate Democrats, and 30 Senate Republicans reported an average net worth in excess of $1 million in 2010. The same was true for 110 House Republicans and 73 House Democrats.”
“The vast majority of members of Congress are quite comfortable, financially, while many of their own constituents suffer from economic hardships,” said Sheila Krumholz at the Center For Responsive Politics. “Few Americans enjoy the same financial cushions maintained by most members of Congress – or the same access to market-altering information that could yield personal, financial gains.”
{ABC News-The Note/Matzav.com Newscenter}
Tipical leftist media – So what? face it: for a person to be willing to risk going into politics it takes a certain amount of comfort. You can’t invest years on campaigns if your family depends on your steady income.
But of course, why would they mension such a simple fact?
this message has been brought to you by occupy wall street
I guess this means that they are truly successful people that have the talent to have made it in the business world too.
Do we have to vote in only people of no financial means to represent our interests? Certainly not. I don’t want any of my representatives to be constantly worried about how they’re going to pay the bills. I want the clearest and most focused head possible in order to make the proper decisions in guiding our country. We need people that are successful in their personal lives to successfully lead our country.
I wish I were comfortable too, and I daven that I eventually will be. But I hold nothing against comfortable people holding these jobs.
My guess is this means that there are “truly successful” people with the talent to arrange to have rich parents. We need those with the wisdom to have inherited wealth, like say… Romney, to lead our country.