An unprecedented increase to the Members' Representational Allowance gave the average House personal office an extra $314,000 in funds last year. But nearly two out of five offices didn't use a single dollar of that increase, according to a LegiStorm analysis of the House's latest spending data.
The average personal office disclosed spending 84.0% of its 2022 funds. On average, Democrats spent an extra 4.4% of their budgets than Republicans - a difference of about $95,000 more per office.
2022's 21% MRA increase was meant to help the House attract and retain staff talent.
To begin tapping into the MRA increase, each personal office needed to spend at least 82.65% of its 2022 budget. Only 62% did so. The remaining 38% of the House disclosed spending that would have been sustainable without any increase. It's common for offices to report expenses after the year's end, so the number of 2022 "underspenders" is likely to shrink somewhat.
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) had the House's highest spending. His office used more than 98.7% of its budget, including 85.1% on staffer pay. The average office spent 67.3% of its total budget on staffer pay.
