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House Members Spend $20.3 Million On Bulk Mail

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By DENNIS CONRAD, The Associated Press

Published: December 28, 2007

WASHINGTON - U.S. House members spent $20.3 million in tax money last year to send constituents what's often the government equivalent of junk mail: meeting announcements, tips on car care and job interviews, surveys on public policy and just plain bragging.

They sent nearly 116 million pieces of mail in all, many of them glossy productions filled with flattering photos and lists of the latest roads and bridges the lawmaker has brought home to the district, an Associated Press review of public records shows.

Some offered advice on topics one would more commonly expect to see in a consumer-advice column.

"Keep your car properly maintained" to improve mileage, suggested Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Pa., in a newsletter on how to deal with rising energy prices.

Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif., offered tips on home improvements.

Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., who lost her primary race after a high-profile scuffle with a Capitol Hill police officer last year, sent out a taxpayer-funded newsletter a few months before the election that included this simple observation:

"Convicted felons can vote," she said, if "your" prison sentence has been served, parole or probation completed and fines paid. While campaigning, McKinney, who is black, noted that blacks make up a disproportionately large share of the prison population, which she said dilutes their voting strength.

A dozen House members spent more than $133,000 each to send 9.8 million pieces of mass mailings at a total cost of $1.8 million.

Sometimes the lawmakers' taxpayer-funded mailings topped what they paid for direct mail through their campaign funds.

Of the 64 House members with at least $100,000 in taxpayer-funded mailing expenses - and overwhelmingly for mass mailings - 42 were Republicans and 22 were Democrats, the AP review found.

In sharp contrast, 59 lawmakers in the 435-member House - 35 Republicans and 24 Democrats - spent nothing on mass mailings. They tended to be the more experienced House members, often with 14 or more years of service.

Some lawmakers defend the newsletters as a vital way of communicating with constituents.

"One of the biggest complaints my constituents had with my predecessor was that they never knew what was going on in Washington," said Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Crystal River. "They never had the opportunity to do surveys, etc. I promised I would communicate with them regularly."

Brown-Waite is one of the biggest users of bulk mail, with 657,951 pieces at a cost of $129,428 last year. That surpassed the approximately $110,000 her campaign spent on direct mailings and related costs.

One taxpayer-funded mailing featured a picture of her and the headline: "Medicare Prescription Drug Update: The Time to Act is Now." Another, titled "Constituent Service Guide for the 5th District," included a survey and information about how to obtain U.S. flags, assistance from federal agencies and an appointment to a military academy.

Senators can also send mailings, but the amount for each senator is specific and generally based on the number of addresses in a senator's state. At no point may it exceed $50,000 a year for mass mailings. For fiscal year 2004, overall mail allocations ranged from $31,746 to $298,850.

Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala, who mailed 906,788 pieces last year and won re-election with 60 percent of the vote, sees the mailings as helping him do his job.

"Ours is a representative government, requiring an active dialogue between elected officials and those they serve," Stearns said in a statement.

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