Since Congress is suddenly so interested in discussing and regulating what other people make, let’s discuss the financial condition of our hardworking, selfless Reps.
Take a guess what percentage of Congress are millionaires…I’ll give you a jumping off point: 1% of the total US population are millionaires.
You probably figured that Congress probably had between 5 or 10 times the amount of millionaires as the rest of the country, that would make sense. But you’d be way wrong.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, a whopping 44% of Congress men and women are millionaires, that’s a total of 237 of them! So it’s more like 44 times more millionaires.
Here’s a quick rundown of the Fattest of Cats from Politico.com:
CRP says California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is the richest lawmaker on Capitol Hill, with a net worth estimated at about $251 million. Next in line: Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), worth about $244.7 million; Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), worth about $214.5 million; Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), worth about $209.7 million; and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), worth about $208.8 million.
All told, at least seven lawmakers have net worths greater than $100 million, according to the Center’s 2008 figures.
OK, so to sum up, only 1% of Americans are worth a million or more, but almost half of our elected officials are – why, we’re like peas in a pod! Hard to believe there’s such a disconnect between the everyday Americans and their duly-elected representative overclass.
[…] The Reformed Broker is reporting that while 1% of the total US population are millionaires, 44% of our Congress men and women are millionaires … yes, these selfless representatives of our Republic who cannot find the time to read the bills they vote on demonstrate what charlatans and hypocrites they are. We have millionaires trying to pass health care legislation that they will exempt themselves from. This ghastly legislation is good enough for us but not for our rarefied legislators! […]
[…] The Reformed Broker is reporting that while 1% of the total US population are millionaires, 44% of our Congress men and women are millionaires … yes, these selfless representatives of our Republic who cannot find the time to read the bills they vote on demonstrate what charlatans and hypocrites they are. We have millionaires trying to pass health care legislation that they will exempt themselves from. This ghastly legislation is good enough for us but not for our rarefied legislators! […]
I’m a New York City-based financial advisor at Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC. I help people invest and manage portfolios for them. For disclosure information please see here.
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Not saying that they’ve all earned it on their own merits, but would you really want the average American in congress?
Not saying that they’ve all earned it on their own merits, but would you really want the average American in congress?
hell yes! if you think just because someone has money they are intelligent, you are a dreamer…
hell yes! if you think just because someone has money they are intelligent, you are a dreamer…
And if you believe the average American is intelligent, you, Madam, are the dreamer.
And if you believe the average American is intelligent, you, Madam, are the dreamer.
[…] Source […]
[…] Source […]
Here’s a follow up question. “How many of our elected leaders were millionaires before their being elected?”
Here’s a follow up question. “How many of our elected leaders were millionaires before their being elected?”
They almost know how the average American lives. They are so out of touch!
They almost know how the average American lives. They are so out of touch!
[…] The Reformed Broker is reporting that while 1% of the total US population are millionaires, 44% of our Congress men and women are millionaires … yes, these selfless representatives of our Republic who cannot find the time to read the bills they vote on demonstrate what charlatans and hypocrites they are. We have millionaires trying to pass health care legislation that they will exempt themselves from. This ghastly legislation is good enough for us but not for our rarefied legislators! […]
[…] The Reformed Broker is reporting that while 1% of the total US population are millionaires, 44% of our Congress men and women are millionaires … yes, these selfless representatives of our Republic who cannot find the time to read the bills they vote on demonstrate what charlatans and hypocrites they are. We have millionaires trying to pass health care legislation that they will exempt themselves from. This ghastly legislation is good enough for us but not for our rarefied legislators! […]
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