{ "id": "R40962", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "R", "number": "R40962", "active": true, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov, EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "title": "Members\u2019 Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "retrieved": "2023-11-17T04:03:18.903448", "id": "R40962_29_2023-10-30", "formats": [ { "filename": "files/2023-10-30_R40962_3756b1fa48a455a4cf6b0bce8279e778d46a5489.pdf", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R40962/29", "sha1": "3756b1fa48a455a4cf6b0bce8279e778d46a5489" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2023-10-30_R40962_3756b1fa48a455a4cf6b0bce8279e778d46a5489.html" } ], "date": "2023-10-30", "summary": null, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "typeId": "R", "active": true, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R40962", "type": "CRS Report" }, { "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "title": "Members\u2019 Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "retrieved": "2023-11-17T04:03:18.902535", "id": "R40962_28_2022-12-14", "formats": [ { "filename": "files/2022-12-14_R40962_760c2fda5ec924ec07408fe44f836eed02aa5b9b.pdf", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R40962/28", "sha1": "760c2fda5ec924ec07408fe44f836eed02aa5b9b" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2022-12-14_R40962_760c2fda5ec924ec07408fe44f836eed02aa5b9b.html" } ], "date": "2022-12-14", "summary": null, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "typeId": "R", "active": true, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R40962", "type": "CRS Report" }, { "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "title": "Members\u2019 Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "retrieved": "2023-11-17T04:03:18.901110", "id": "R40962_26_2022-03-24", "formats": [ { "filename": "files/2022-03-24_R40962_984f69af25dcfda423bdf9196e6cb52b41b0ecd0.pdf", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R40962/26", "sha1": "984f69af25dcfda423bdf9196e6cb52b41b0ecd0" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2022-03-24_R40962_984f69af25dcfda423bdf9196e6cb52b41b0ecd0.html" } ], "date": "2022-03-24", "summary": null, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "typeId": "R", "active": true, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R40962", "type": "CRS Report" }, { "source_dir": "crsreports.congress.gov", "title": "Members\u2019 Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "retrieved": "2023-11-17T04:03:18.900347", "id": "R40962_25_2020-08-13", "formats": [ { "filename": "files/2020-08-13_R40962_a87af18b44b4486eaeaf853bda6de6d869242837.pdf", "format": "PDF", "url": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R40962/25", "sha1": "a87af18b44b4486eaeaf853bda6de6d869242837" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/2020-08-13_R40962_a87af18b44b4486eaeaf853bda6de6d869242837.html" } ], "date": "2020-08-13", "summary": null, "source": "CRSReports.Congress.gov", "typeId": "R", "active": true, "sourceLink": "https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/details?prodcode=R40962", "type": "CRS Report" }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 604293, "date": "2019-09-03", "retrieved": "2019-09-03T22:02:19.715083", "title": "Members\u2019 Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "summary": "Members of the House of Representatives have one consolidated allowance, the Members\u2019 Representational Allowance (MRA), with which to operate their offices. The MRA was first authorized in 1996 and was made subject to regulations and adjustments of the Committee on House Administration. Representatives have a high degree of flexibility to use the MRA to operate their offices in a way that supports their congressional duties and responsibilities, and individual office spending may be as varied as the districts Members represent. \nOver the last decade, the appropriation for the MRA\nreached a high in FY2010 of $660.0 million;\ndecreased in FY2011, FY2012, and FY2013 (-7.1%, -6.4%, and -5.2%, respectively);\nincreased in FY2014 (+1.9%) and remained flat in FY2015 (0.0%) and FY2016 (0.0%);\nincreased from FY2016 to FY2017 (+1.5%) and remained flat in 2018 (0.0%); and\nincreased from FY2018 to FY2019 (+2.0%).\nThe FY2020 House-reported legislative branch appropriations bill (H.R. 2779) would provide $615.0 million, an increase of $41.4 million (+7.2%).\nThe reduction in the overall MRA appropriation from its FY2010 peak corresponded with a reduction to the individual MRA authorization for each Member, which is available for expenses incurred from January 3 of each year through January 2 of the following year. In the 112th Congress, the House agreed to H.Res. 22, which reduced the amount authorized for salaries and expenses of Member, committee, and leadership offices in 2011 and 2012. This resolution, agreed to on January 6, 2011, stated that the MRA allowances for these years may not exceed 95% of the amount established for 2010. Individual MRAs were further reduced 6.4% in 2012 and 8.2% in 2013, before increasing 1.0% in 2014 and remaining flat in 2015. The 2016 allowances increased by 1.0%. The individual 2017 allowances initially increased by 3.9% from 2016, and then by another $25,000 when the House agreed to H.Res. 411. In 2018, individual allowances were increased by $25,000. In 2019, individual allowances were increased by 1.0%.\nInformation on individual office spending is published in the quarterly Statements of Disbursements of the House (SOD), which have been made available online since 2009. Beginning with disbursements covering January-March 2016, this website provides SOD information in a sortable CSV (comma-separated values) format. \nIn addition to recurring administrative provisions in the annual appropriations acts requiring unused amounts remaining in the MRA be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the federal debt, numerous bills and resolutions addressing the MRA have been introduced. This legislation has generally fallen into three major categories: (1) attempts to change the MRA procedure or regulate, authorize, or encourage the use of funds for a particular purpose; (2) stand-alone legislation that would govern the use of unexpended balances, including language to require these funds to go toward deficit reduction; and (3) bills that would limit or change the growth of overall MRA or adjustment among Members.\nThis report provides a history and overview of the MRA and examines spending patterns in recent years. The data exclude nonvoting Members, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, as well as Members who were not in Congress for the entirety of the session. Information is provided on total spending and spending for various categories, including personnel compensation; travel; rent, utilities, and communications; printing and reproduction; other services; supplies and materials; equipment; and franked mail. The data collected demonstrate that, despite variations, many Members allocate their spending in a similar manner, and spending allocation patterns have remained relatively consistent over time.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R40962", "sha1": "8f3674b73bc92fffa6924785bcd576627ff9d27e", "filename": "files/20190903_R40962_8f3674b73bc92fffa6924785bcd576627ff9d27e.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R40962_files&id=/1.png": "files/20190903_R40962_images_8a7a0b6d0e9da7fd84d1978a774bd5ef69bf1439.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R40962_files&id=/0.png": "files/20190903_R40962_images_46c9aa15187907b996feeea063c07d25e2860213.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R40962_files&id=/2.png": "files/20190903_R40962_images_67b3fafb73afd1bb221bf4802eb0cdd8c96736fa.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R40962", "sha1": "a85d411b73169b65a00255ce1cc05e58dad71344", "filename": "files/20190903_R40962_a85d411b73169b65a00255ce1cc05e58dad71344.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4777, "name": "Congressional Operations, Leadership, & Funding" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 589668, "date": "2019-01-08", "retrieved": "2019-04-17T14:37:31.574378", "title": "Members\u2019 Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "summary": "Members of the House of Representatives have one consolidated allowance, the Members\u2019 Representational Allowance (MRA), with which to operate their offices. The MRA was first authorized in 1996 and was made subject to regulations and adjustments of the Committee on House Administration. Representatives have a high degree of flexibility to use the MRA to operate their offices in a way that supports their congressional duties and responsibilities, and individual office spending may be as varied as the districts Members represent. \nThe appropriation for the MRA decreased from a high in FY2010 of $660.0 million to $554.7 million in FY2014, FY2015, and FY2016. For FY2017, the MRA level was increased by $8.3 million, to $562.6 million (+1.5%). This level was continued for FY2018. The FY2019 level of $573.6 million represents an increase of $10.998 million (+2.0%).\nThe reduction in the overall MRA appropriation from its FY2010 peak has corresponded with a reduction to the individual MRA authorization for each Member, which is available for expenses incurred from January 3 of each year through January 2 of the following year. In the 112th Congress, the House agreed to H.Res. 22, which reduced the amount authorized for salaries and expenses of Member, committee, and leadership offices in 2011 and 2012. This resolution, agreed to on January 6, 2011, stated that the MRA allowances for these years may not exceed 95% of the amount established for 2010. Individual MRAs were further reduced 6.4% in 2012 and 8.2% in 2013, before increasing 1.0% in 2014 and remaining flat in 2015. The 2016 allowances increased by 1.0%. The individual 2017 allowances initially increased by 3.9% from 2016, and then by another $25,000 when the House agreed to H.Res. 411. In 2018, individual allowances were increased by $25,000.\nInformation on individual office spending is published in the quarterly Statements of Disbursements of the House (SOD), which has been made available online since 2009. Beginning with disbursements covering January-March 2016, this website provides SOD information in a sortable CSV (comma-separated values) format. \nIn addition to recurring administrative provisions in the annual appropriations acts requiring unused amounts remaining in the MRA be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the federal debt, numerous bills and resolutions addressing the MRA have been introduced. This legislation has generally fallen into three major categories: (1) attempts to change the MRA procedure or regulate, authorize, or encourage the use of funds for a particular purpose; (2) stand-alone legislation that would govern the use of unexpended balances, including language to require these funds to go toward deficit reduction; and (3) bills that would limit or change the growth of overall MRA or adjustment among Members.\nThis report provides a history and overview of the MRA and examines spending patterns in recent years. The data exclude nonvoting Members, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, as well as Members who were not in Congress for the entirety of the session. Information is provided on total spending and spending for various categories, including personnel compensation; travel; rent, utilities, and communications; printing and reproduction; other services; supplies and materials; equipment; and franked mail. The data collected demonstrate that, despite variations when considering all Members, many Members allocate their spending in a similar manner, and spending allocation patterns have remained relatively consistent over time.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R40962", "sha1": "cffb5f04469d54d63a91395befe4140843509a26", "filename": "files/20190108_R40962_cffb5f04469d54d63a91395befe4140843509a26.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R40962_files&id=/1.png": "files/20190108_R40962_images_5a4217489364e7bd030ea7d4fa92e6317f3936c4.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R40962_files&id=/0.png": "files/20190108_R40962_images_270dd709a36f5ab5ee891c835908084556c5a0ca.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R40962_files&id=/2.png": "files/20190108_R40962_images_97e93ad1a44b85453037f292086e98f4d38eb569.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R40962", "sha1": "e4f08a125fe6a83b4a6e600e636c1c173394902b", "filename": "files/20190108_R40962_e4f08a125fe6a83b4a6e600e636c1c173394902b.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4777, "name": "Congressional Operations, Leadership, & Funding" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 573495, "date": "2017-09-27", "retrieved": "2018-05-10T12:28:59.936651", "title": "Members\u2019 Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "summary": "Members of the House of Representatives have one consolidated allowance, the Members\u2019 Representational Allowance (MRA), with which to operate their offices. The MRA was first authorized in 1996 and was made subject to regulations and adjustments of the Committee on House Administration. Representatives have a high degree of flexibility to use the MRA to operate their offices in a way that supports their congressional duties and responsibilities, and individual office spending may be as varied as the districts Members represent. \nThe appropriation for the MRA decreased from a high in FY2010 of $660.0 million to $554.7 million in FY2014, FY2015, and FY2016. The FY2017 House-passed bill (H.R. 5325) would have increased this level by $8.3 million, to $562.6 million (+1.5%). Although H.R. 5325 was not enacted, this level was provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31), which was enacted on May 5, 2017. The House-passed version of the FY2018 bill (H.R. 3219) would continue the FY2017 level (-14.8% from the FY2010 peak level). \nThe reduction in the overall MRA appropriation from its FY2010 peak has corresponded with a reduction to the individual MRA authorization for each Member, which is available for expenses incurred from January 3 of each year through January 2 of the following year. In the 112th Congress, the House agreed to H.Res. 22, which reduced the amount authorized for salaries and expenses of Member, committee, and leadership offices in 2011 and 2012. This resolution, agreed to on January 6, 2011, stated that the MRA allowances for these years may not exceed 95% of the amount established for 2010. Individual MRAs were further reduced 6.4% in 2012 and 8.2% in 2013, before increasing 1.0% in 2014 and remaining flat in 2015. The 2016 allowances increased by 1.0%. The individual 2017 allowances initially increased by 3.9% from 2016, and then by another $25,000 when the House agreed to H.Res. 411.\nInformation on individual office spending is published in the quarterly Statements of Disbursements of the House (SOD), which has been made available online since 2009 at http://disbursements.house.gov/. Beginning with disbursements covering January-March 2016, this website provides SOD information in a sortable CSV (comma-separated values) format. \nIn addition to recurring administrative provisions in the annual appropriations acts requiring unused amounts remaining in the MRA be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the federal debt, numerous bills and resolutions addressing the MRA have been introduced. This legislation has generally fallen into three major categories: (1) attempts to change the MRA procedure or regulate, authorize, or encourage the use of funds for a particular purpose; (2) stand-alone legislation that would govern the use of unexpended balances, including language to require these funds to go toward deficit reduction; and (3) bills that would limit or change the growth of overall MRA or adjustment among Members.\nThis report provides a history and overview of the MRA and examines spending patterns in recent years. The data exclude non-voting Members, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, as well as Members who were not in Congress for the entirety of the session. Information is provided on total spending and spending for various categories, including personnel compensation; travel; rent, utilities, and communications; printing and reproduction; other services; supplies and materials; equipment; and franked mail. The data collected demonstrate that, despite variations when considering all Members, many Members allocate their spending in a similar manner, and spending allocation patterns have remained relatively consistent over time.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R40962", "sha1": "06b4246db2456216304c40bef50566954ed73496", "filename": "files/20170927_R40962_06b4246db2456216304c40bef50566954ed73496.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R40962_files&id=/2.png": "files/20170927_R40962_images_97e93ad1a44b85453037f292086e98f4d38eb569.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R40962_files&id=/0.png": "files/20170927_R40962_images_079b0a8ad8df7c6f8db3c9f022550cd80eb47396.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R40962_files&id=/1.png": "files/20170927_R40962_images_77454e5ad4a048b9003c89c98f6b9386679f1ab9.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R40962", "sha1": "68dcd9011a6251f50670f7d385d26e76cc3c96d4", "filename": "files/20170927_R40962_68dcd9011a6251f50670f7d385d26e76cc3c96d4.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4777, "name": "Congressional Operations, Leadership, & Funding" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 458595, "date": "2017-01-30", "retrieved": "2017-02-03T19:09:56.826417", "title": "Members\u2019 Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "summary": "Members of the House of Representatives have one consolidated allowance, the Members\u2019 Representational Allowance (MRA), with which to operate their offices. The MRA was first authorized in 1996 and was made subject to regulations and adjustments of the Committee on House Administration. Representatives have a high degree of flexibility to use the MRA to operate their offices in a way that supports their congressional duties and responsibilities, and individual office spending may be as varied as the districts Members represent. \nThe appropriation for the MRA decreased from a high in FY2010 of $660.0 million to $554.7 million in FY2014, FY2015, and FY2016. The FY2017 House-passed bill (H.R. 5325) would have increased this level by $8.3 million, to $562.6 million (+1.5%). H.R. 5325 was not enacted, however, and funding for the beginning of FY2017 has been provided through two continuing resolutions (P.L. 114-223, through December 9, 2016, and P.L. 114-254, through April 28, 2017).\nThe reduction in the overall appropriation has corresponded with a reduction to the individual MRA authorization for each Member, which is available for expenses incurred from January 3 of each year through January 2 of the following year. In the 112th Congress, the House agreed to H.Res. 22, which reduced the amount authorized for salaries and expenses of Member, committee, and leadership offices in 2011 and 2012. This resolution, agreed to on January 6, 2011, stated that the MRA allowances for these years may not exceed 95% of the amount established for 2010. Individual MRAs were further reduced 6.4% in 2012 and 8.2% in 2013, before increasing 1.0% in 2014 and remaining flat in 2015. The 2016 allowances increased by 1.0%, and allowances for individual Members ranged from $1,207,510 to $1,383,709, with an average MRA of $1,268,520.\nInformation on individual office spending is published in the quarterly Statements of Disbursements of the House (SOD), which has been made available online since 2009 at http://disbursements.house.gov/. Beginning with disbursements covering January-March 2016, this website provides SOD information in a sortable CSV (comma-separated values) format. \nIn addition to recurring administrative provisions in the annual appropriations acts requiring unused amounts remaining in the MRA be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the federal debt, numerous bills and resolutions addressing the MRA have been introduced. This legislation has generally fallen into three major categories: (1) attempts to change the MRA procedure or regulate, authorize, or encourage the use of funds for a particular purpose; (2) stand-alone legislation that would govern the use of unexpended balances, including language to require these funds to go toward deficit reduction; and (3) bills that would limit or change the growth of overall MRA or adjustment among Members.\nThis report provides a history and overview of the MRA and examines spending patterns in recent years. The data exclude non-voting Members, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, as well as Members who were not in Congress for the entirety of the session. Information is provided on total spending and spending for various categories, including personnel compensation; travel; rent, utilities, and communications; printing and reproduction; other services; supplies and materials; equipment; and franked mail. The data collected demonstrate that, despite variations when considering all Members, many Members allocate their spending in a similar manner, and spending allocation patterns have remained relatively consistent over time.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R40962", "sha1": "75aaeed994dba65fab461bd2177b6aa9718ebbf2", "filename": "files/20170130_R40962_75aaeed994dba65fab461bd2177b6aa9718ebbf2.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R40962", "sha1": "cc053e014bb71630b65c1aa6d5152ca2d325ac3f", "filename": "files/20170130_R40962_cc053e014bb71630b65c1aa6d5152ca2d325ac3f.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4777, "name": "Congressional Operations, Leadership, & Funding" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 454253, "date": "2016-07-14", "retrieved": "2016-10-17T19:44:25.721521", "title": "Members\u2019 Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "summary": "Members of the House of Representatives have one consolidated allowance, the Members\u2019 Representational Allowance (MRA), with which to operate their offices. The MRA was first authorized in 1996 and was made subject to regulations and adjustments of the Committee on House Administration. Representatives have a high degree of flexibility to use the MRA to operate their offices in a way that supports their congressional duties and responsibilities, and individual office spending may be as varied as the districts Members represent. \nThe appropriation for the MRA decreased from a high in FY2010 of $660.0 million to $554.7 million in FY2014, FY2015, and FY2016. The FY2017 House-passed bill (H.R. 5325) would increase this level by $8.3 million, to $562.6 million (+1.5%).\nThe reduction in the overall appropriation has corresponded with a reduction to the individual MRA authorization for each Member, which is available for expenses incurred from January 3 of each year through January 2 of the following year. In the 112th Congress, the House agreed to H.Res. 22, which reduced the amount authorized for salaries and expenses of Member, committee, and leadership offices in 2011 and 2012. This resolution, agreed to on January 6, 2011, stated that the MRA allowances for these years may not exceed 95% of the amount established for 2010. Individual MRAs were further reduced 6.4% in 2012 and 8.2% in 2013, before increasing 1.0% in 2014 and remaining flat in 2015. The 2016 allowances increased by 1.0%, and allowances for individual Members ranged from $1,207,510 to $1,383,709, with an average MRA of $1,268,520.\nInformation on individual office spending is published in the quarterly Statements of Disbursements of the House (SOD), which has been made available online since 2009 at http://disbursements.house.gov/. Beginning with disbursements covering January-March 2016, this website provides SOD information in a sortable CSV (comma-separated values) format. \nIn addition to recurring administrative provisions in the annual appropriations acts requiring unused amounts remaining in the MRA be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the federal debt, numerous bills and resolutions addressing the MRA have been introduced. This legislation has generally fallen into three major categories: (1) attempts to change the MRA procedure or regulate, authorize, or encourage the use of funds for a particular purpose; (2) stand-alone legislation that would govern the use of unexpended balances, including language to require these funds to go toward deficit reduction; and (3) bills that would limit or change the growth of overall MRA or adjustment among Members.\nThis report provides a history and overview of the MRA and examines spending patterns over selected years\u20142005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2012. The data exclude non-voting Members, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, as well as Members who were not in Congress for the entirety of the session. Information is provided on total spending and spending for various categories, including personnel compensation; personnel benefits; travel; rent, utilities, and communications; printing and reproduction; other services; supplies and materials; transportation of things; equipment; and franked mail. The data collected demonstrate that, despite variations when considering all Members, many Members allocate their spending in a similar manner.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R40962", "sha1": "34abc42036b070e36c27ac107e035f3f4b9266c3", "filename": "files/20160714_R40962_34abc42036b070e36c27ac107e035f3f4b9266c3.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R40962", "sha1": "610e1c426ac10722d8dd234e7ad7de122cf9d2f9", "filename": "files/20160714_R40962_610e1c426ac10722d8dd234e7ad7de122cf9d2f9.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4777, "name": "Congressional Operations, Leadership, & Funding" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 442408, "date": "2015-06-22", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T18:54:09.277720", "title": "Members\u2019 Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "summary": "Members of the House of Representatives have one consolidated allowance, the Members\u2019 Representational Allowance (MRA), with which to operate their offices. The MRA was first authorized in 1996 and was made subject to regulations and adjustments of the Committee on House Administration. Representatives have a high degree of flexibility to use the MRA to operate their offices in a way that supports their congressional duties and responsibilities, and individual office spending may be as varied as the districts Members represent. \nThe appropriation for the MRA decreased from a high in FY2010 of $660.0 million to $554.7 million in FY2014, FY2015, and the House-passed FY2016 bill (H.R. 2250). This reduction has corresponded with reductions to the individual MRA for each Member, which is available for expenses incurred from January 3 of each year through January 2 of the following year. In the 112th Congress, the House agreed to H.Res. 22, which reduced the amount authorized for salaries and expenses of Member, committee, and leadership offices in 2011 and 2012. This resolution, agreed to on January 6, 2011, stated that the MRA allowances for these years may not exceed 95% of the amount established for 2010. Individual MRAs were further reduced 6.4% in 2012 and 8.2% in 2013, before increasing 1.0% in 2014. The 2014 allowances for individual Members ranged from $1,195,554 to $1,370,009, with an average MRA of $1,255,909.\nInformation on individual office spending is published in the quarterly Statements of Disbursements of the House, which has been made available online since 2009 at http://disbursements.house.gov/.\nIn addition to recurring administrative provisions in the annual appropriations acts requiring unused amounts remaining in the MRA be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the federal debt, numerous bills and resolutions addressing the MRA have been introduced. This legislation has generally fallen into three major categories: (1) attempts to change the MRA procedure or regulate, authorize, or encourage the use of funds for a particular purpose; (2) stand-alone legislation that would govern the use of unexpended balances, including language to require these funds to go toward deficit reduction; and (3) bills that would limit or change the growth of overall MRA or adjustment among Members.\nThis report provides a history and overview of the MRA and examines spending patterns over selected years\u20142005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2012. The data exclude non-voting Members, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, as well as Members who were not in Congress for the entirety of the session. Information is provided on total spending and spending for various categories, including personnel compensation; personnel benefits; travel; rent, utilities, and communications; printing and reproduction; other services; supplies and materials; transportation of things; equipment; and franked mail. The data collected demonstrate that, despite variations when considering all Members, many Members allocate their spending in a similar manner.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R40962", "sha1": "8c2de64af28a50221e41552aef50bcae996c66c4", "filename": "files/20150622_R40962_8c2de64af28a50221e41552aef50bcae996c66c4.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R40962", "sha1": "4a7780ba731d2ed6eb3f9fde28bb261e856aa65f", "filename": "files/20150622_R40962_4a7780ba731d2ed6eb3f9fde28bb261e856aa65f.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "CongOpsList", "id": 4158, "name": "Compensation and Benefits" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc272003/", "id": "R40962_2013Nov25", "date": "2013-11-25", "retrieved": "2014-02-03T19:46:03", "title": "Members' Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "summary": "This report provides a history and overview of the Members' Representational Allowance (MRA) and examines spending patterns over three years--2005, 2006, and 2007. The data exclude non-voting Members, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner. Members who were not in Congress for all of the first session of a Congress, whether the Member left Congress prior to the end of the year or entered any time after the beginning of the session, were also excluded.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20131125_R40962_dbbe45d3f8d72d1e7893423317884efc365347b9.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20131125_R40962_dbbe45d3f8d72d1e7893423317884efc365347b9.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Members of Congress", "name": "Members of Congress" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Congressional allowances", "name": "Congressional allowances" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Members of Congress (House)", "name": "Members of Congress (House)" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc491177/", "id": "R40962_2011Jan05", "date": "2011-01-05", "retrieved": "2015-01-27T19:40:46", "title": "Members' Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "summary": "This report provides a history and overview of the MRA and examines spending patterns in the 109th Congress (2005 and 2006). The data exclude non-voting Members, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner. Members who were not in Congress for all of 2005, whether the Member left Congress prior to the end of the year or entered any time after the beginning of the session, were also excluded.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20110105_R40962_63b099f039f08899cf892fa9d961f113999a1f0a.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20110105_R40962_63b099f039f08899cf892fa9d961f113999a1f0a.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Members of Congress", "name": "Members of Congress" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Congressional allowances", "name": "Congressional allowances" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Members of Congress (House)", "name": "Members of Congress (House)" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc821419/", "id": "R40962_2009Dec01", "date": "2009-12-01", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Members\u2019 Representational Allowance: History and Usage", "summary": "This report provides a history and overview of the the Members\u2019 Representational Allowance (MRA) and examines spending patterns in the 109th Congress (2005 and 2006), the two most recent years for which all billing is complete and spending amounts have been finalized, since late-arriving bills may be paid for up to two years following the end of the MRA year.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20091201_R40962_39e52a233c07043a9f1f04a71b9f056cfb867109.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20091201_R40962_39e52a233c07043a9f1f04a71b9f056cfb867109.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Members of Congress", "name": "Members of Congress" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Congressional allowances", "name": "Congressional allowances" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Members of Congress (House)", "name": "Members of Congress (House)" } ] } ], "topics": [] }