More than 300 House lawmakers have reaped the benefits of a new program that reimburses them for housing, meals and other incidental costs — with no receipts required.
Nearly 30 members — seven Democrats and 20 Republicans — received payments of at least $30,000, according to a database created by The Washington Post. These payments are on top of their $174,000 base salary.
Rep. Jack Bergman, Michigan Republican, received the highest reimbursement, pocketing $44,079 for his room and board in the District of Columbia.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida Republican, received the second-highest amount, with $42,279 in expenses, followed by Rep. Jim Baird, Indiana Republican, at $41,459, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Democrat, at $40,092 and Rep. Troy A. Carter, Louisiana Democrat, at $39,245.
The Washington Times reached out to the lawmakers for comment.
A spokesman for Mr. Gaetz said the lawmaker joined House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, for 12 depositions, which is “more depositions than any other member of the Weaponization Subcommittee, which would often require his presence in D.C. on days without votes. These days incurred additional reimbursement expenses to conduct depositions.”
“It’s interesting to see the congressmen who have million-dollar houses in Washington, D.C. Let’s ban congressional stock trading and then see who starts applying for reimbursements,” the spokesperson said.
The program, which was created last year by a House panel, allows lawmakers to claim expenses for living in the District of Columbia while doing congressional business. It was suggested by the bipartisan House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress in 2022 to help ease the cost of having a place to stay in Washington while also maintaining a home in their districts.
The program does not allow members to request reimbursements for mortgage payments in the nation’s capital.
Critics say the lack of receipts makes the program ripe for abuse.
The database showed that 328 members of the House were reimbursed at least $5.8 million in 2023 under the program. The average amount received through the program was $18,000 in 2023.
Some lawmakers have already been called into question over their D.C. living expenses. Rep. Nancy Mace, South Carolina Republican, is being scrutinized by the House Ethics Committee for her reimbursement requests. Ms. Mace, who owns a $1.6 million home in Capitol Hill, expensed a total of $27,817 in 2023, according to the database.
She has denied any wrongdoing.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.