Republicans are hypocrites: Congressional Budget Increased To Pay GOP Staffers

[cinyc]

So even though the article clearly states that the budget isn't being increased because of GOP staff salaries, Lief feels the need to make yet another hack statement. Not surprising.

You miss the point. Because of the rise of democratic lawmakers, additional staff is necessary to accommodate new members. However, if the GOP lost a number of members and maintains the same staff levels, they do not lessen the money they are using. So while they aren't demanding more money, proportionally they should be receiving less money.

For committee staffers?  That's debatable.  The minority needs committee staffers regardless of the number of Senators in the minority.  And the majority needs more or less the same number of staffers regardless of the numbers of Senators in the majority.  The amount of work the committee does doesn't change because of the number of Senators in any particular party on that committee.  The main funding shift comes when control of the chamber changes, not when fewer members of any particular party are elected.

Why do you think Democrat lawmakers didn't get additional staff when they came in?  Each Senator gets staffers.  Republican staffers who worked for defeated Republican Senators are gone.  New Democrat Senators got their own staffers. 

[cinyc]

So even though the article clearly states that the budget isn't being increased because of GOP staff salaries, Lief feels the need to make yet another hack statement. Not surprising.

You miss the point. Because of the rise of democratic lawmakers, additional staff is necessary to accommodate new members. However, if the GOP lost a number of members and maintains the same staff levels, they do not lessen the money they are using. So while they aren't demanding more money, proportionally they should be receiving less money.

For committee staffers?  That's debatable.  The minority needs committee staffers regardless of the number of Senators in the minority.  And the majority needs more or less the same number of staffers regardless of the numbers of Senators in the majority.  The amount of work the committee does doesn't change because of the number of Senators in any particular party on that committee.  The main funding shift comes when control of the chamber changes, not when fewer members of any particular party are elected.

Why do you think Democrat lawmakers didn't get additional staff when they came in?  Each Senator gets staffers.  Republican staffers who worked for defeated Republican Senators are gone.  New Democrat Senators got their own staffers. 

If there are fewer people to report to they shouldn't need the same number of staffers.

Before jumping up and down on the heads of Republicans it would be interesting to see stats on this from past years. However, I think especially when they are shrieking about spending the Republicans need to look at their own actions.

Well, from the Republicans' explanation, the bulk of the increase was in the office of the Architect of the House.  If I remember correctly, the Architect of the House was overseeing the creation of the recently opened new visitors' center, which has had many cost overruns.  The new visitors' center will allow our perfumed Congressional overlords not to "smell" us plebes as we line up to visit the building we pay for that they have the privilege of serving in.   Seriously - one of our overlords said that.