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No. of Reps Who Donated to National Debt in 2010: 3

But even if they gave full salaries, they'd barely make a den

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 29, 2011 7:05 AM CDT

(Newser) – For a bunch of people so concerned with the growing national debt, the House of Representatives doesn't have a lot of members putting their money where their mouths are. The House has program that allows representatives to return a portion of their salaries toward debt reduction (the Senate doesn't even have such a program), but only two or three reps actually do so, the Washington Post reports. Last fall, $2,610.39 was donated—or enough to stave off the national debt's growth for a whopping five one-hundredths of a second.

The money donated doesn't even technically go to America's creditors. Instead, it goes to the General Fund, and the government can use it to pay for new things—thereby indirectly lowering the $14.2 trillion national debt by reducing new borrowing. But donating to the deficit isn't the point, says the spokesperson for the House's Republican Study Committee, a group that advocates spending cuts: “Uncle Sam doesn’t need a bigger chunk of your paycheck. He needs to kick the spending addiction.” (Even so, if you feel compelled to help, click to find out how the public can contribute.) Click through the gallery to see who actually did give.

A third congressman, Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-NJ, gave $4,782 in the first quarter and nothing thereafter, according to the Post.
A third congressman, Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-NJ, gave $4,782 in the first quarter and nothing thereafter, according to the Post.   (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)
US President Barack Obama's budget is unpacked by aides of the Senate Buget Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, February 14, 2011.
US President Barack Obama's budget is unpacked by aides of the Senate Buget Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, February 14, 2011.   (Getty Images)
Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., is one of two, sometimes three, congressmen who donate toward reducing the national debt.
Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., is one of two, sometimes three, congressmen who donate toward reducing the national debt.   (Getty Images)
House Financial Services Committee ranking member Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., is the other.
House Financial Services Committee ranking member Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., is the other.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
Your-Average-Joe
Mar 29, 2011 6:34 PM CDT
"For a bunch of people so concerned with the growing national debt, the House of Representatives doesn't have a lot of members putting their money where their mouths are". No surprise there! Do as I say, not as I do republicans. As evident by the last Republican admin. running up the nations deficit charge card on two UNPAID for wars, tax give away's to the wealthy and giving away the keys to the American treasury to the PRIVATELY HELD,TOO BIG TO FAIL BANKS on their way out the door! And now have the gall to piss,moan and question the very spending needed to fix the house they trashed ! Image your college age kids just finished an eight year party in YOUR HOME with all their friends on YOUR credit card buying all their friend and supporters food and booze and they trashed YOUR house pissing on the floors, vomiting on the furniture,plugging up the toilets, knocking holes in the walls and nearly burning the place down on the way out ! And when you got home to find the place trashed and started to spend what was left on your last credit card to rehabilitate your house to live in it again, the kids began to complain that you were spending their inheritances! Can you imagine the anger you and I would be feeling?
weekendofsound
Mar 29, 2011 4:57 PM CDT
Well, at least they are all doing their part to create the national debt.
2ollingstone
Mar 29, 2011 4:12 PM CDT
"The only other congressman to donate toward the debt in 2010 was Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (R-N.J.). He gave $4,782 in the first quarter and nothing thereafter. His staff said the donation was a personal matter and declined to talk about it further." So 1 of the 3 who donated made it painstakingly obvious he only donated for some kind of tax evasion purpose. The other 2 at least made up a lie that sounded good. Career politicians need to go. No one should be allowed to run TWENTY EIGHT times in a row. The health benefits, the pay, and the power to completely destroy the world is just too much to let people have it for their entire adulthoods. I'm speaking of course about John Dingell, a very liberal democrat, someone whose beliefs I mostly share. He needs to go. 28 terms is INSANE. He's just the longest serving congressman now and there are many many more who are 15+ terms. Politics need to be handled similarly to jury duty. It's a civil service. Do your time and then go back to your job. After a couple of elections won that God complex is very easy to come by.

 
Congress • government spending • House of Representatives • national debt • US Congress • federal spending • budget deficit • Spencer Bachus • Republican Study Committee • Tim Walz • Frank LoBiondo

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