US: The millionaires’ Congress

[Joanne98]

Members of US Congress increased their combined personal wealth by more than 16 percent from 2008 and 2009, even as the population they nominally represent was going through the worst wave of job losses and wage cutting since the Great Depression.

According to an analysis of financial disclosures by the Center for Responsive Politics, just under half of the US Senators and Representatives, 261 of 535, were millionaires in 2009, compared to 1 percent of the population at large. Fifty-five of these Congressmen have a net worth of greater than $10 million, and eight have fortunes estimated at over $100 million.

Median wealth for all members of Congress in 2009 was $911,510, up from $785,515 in 2008. In the “people’s House,” the median net worth was $765,010 in 2009, up from $645,503 in 2008, considerably below, however, the $2.38 million median net wealth for US Senators in 2009, which was up from $2.27 million in 2008.

These figures, if anything, are underestimations. Congressmen are only required to report their assets in a broad range—the Center for Responsive Politics works out an average based on this range—and they are not obliged to include their residences.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/nov2010/cong-n26.shtml

[Skink]

1. They'll probably vote themselves another raise too.

[MichiganVote]

2. K&R

[classysassy]

3. Another big lie

For years the poor citizens were told to vote for the rich person running for congress,the reason given was the rich person already had money so he or she would have no need to lie,cheat and steal,well how times have changed.The rich criminals abound.