At $231M, Kerry Is Congress' Richest

Combined, members of Congress sough off hundreds of millions

(NEWSER) - The 50 richest members of Congress are still rich, but their personal finances show they’re not immune to the economic downturn, Roll Call reports. Together, the pols on the list have lost $275 million in personal wealth since 2007. In 2008, the legislators' combined assets of $1.3 billion fall well short of the $1.5 billion total just a year earlier. The top 5:

1. John Kerry: The Massachusetts senator has lost $64 million over the past year. But Kerry and his wife, ketchup heiress Teresa Heinz Kerry, could still be worth $1 billion.

John Kerry, Darrell Issa, Jane Harman lead list

(NEWSER) - Financial disclosure forms from 2009 are in, and the Hill has ranked the 50 wealthiest lawmakers (27 Democrats and 23 Republicans) from the House and Senate. Here's the top 5:

1. John Kerry, $188.6 million: Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, is the source of his wealth, though the $188.6 million is something of an estimate—several assets are listed as being worth "over $1,000,000."
2. Rep. Darrell Issa, $160.1 million: His net worth actually dropped by $4 million in 2009 because of investment loses. His wealth came from his founding of a company that makes car security alarms.

Confirmation of State nominee could come within hours

(NEWSER) - Republican Sen. John Cornyn removed his call for a roll-call vote in the confirmation of Hillary Clinton as secretary of State today, paving the way for a quick vote within two hours, the Hill reports. “I intend to vote for her confirmation,” Cornyn said, “but I also believe it’s very important to flesh out some of the concerns” about possible conflicts of interest. More»