House Republicans topped Democrats as the most generous givers of year-end bonuses paid from government coffers, with 9 of the top 10 biggest bonus spenders being GOPers. The top spot went to a Democrat.
That strong GOP tilt, a reversal of previous trends, happened in a year that saw post-election bonuses drop to its lowest level in a decade.
Official salary records do not usually indicate bonuses per se. But LegiStorm calculates bonuses paid based on how much salaries rise in the 4th quarter of the year compared to the first three quarters. Comparable figures are not possible to glean from Senate payroll due to differences in how they are reported.
Of the 20 most generous lawmakers last year, only six of them remained in office for the 113th Congress. Retired Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) gave his staff the highest bump. Staffers in his office doubled their pay, on average, in the fourth quarter compared to the previous quarters. Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), who was defeated in his attempt at a Senate seat, wasn't far behind, augmenting his staff's salaries 98.3% in the final quarter.
Republicans were slightly more generous than Democrats in the aggregate. The average Republican staffer saw a 16.4% bump in pay, compared to a 15.1% rise for Democratic staffers. The combined average of 15.7% was well above 2011's bonus rate but the lowest post-election bonus round in at least a decade. The previous low in 2002 was 17.6%.
Election years tend to see larger bonus numbers, as departing members reward staff who will soon be looking for new jobs. The party losing more members tends to have higher bonuses. Republican control of House seats dropped from 55% in the 112th Congress to 52% in the 113th. Among those losing were Reps. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.) and Allen West (R-Fla.), who ranked 3 and 4 atop the most generous bonus payers.
The Republican edge in bonus levels is a reversal from the 111th Congress when 18 of the top 20 most generous office bonuses were doled out by Democrats. At the peak of their majority in the 111th, Democrats controlled about 59% of House seats before losing control of the chamber to the GOP in the 112th. That year saw record bonus payouts by Democrats.
Bonus pay on Capitol Hill has a long tradition. Members justify bonuses by saying that congressional staff are undercompensated compared to their peers in the private sector and executive branch, especially considering the long hours that many staffers keep.
Members have a set allowance for all expenses during the year, and they have great freedom in how they spend that money. Any unused money gets returned to the U.S. Treasury.
