237 Millionaires in U.S. Congress

Posted by ralph on November 11, 2009

Brian Montopoli writes in CBS News’ Political Hotsheet:

Even in tough times, it’s good to be a lawmaker: According to a report released by the Center for Responsive Politics, there are 237 millionaires serving in Congress, according to 2008 figures.

That’s a slight decline from the previous year, when there were 239 millionaires in the House and Senate. But it still reflects the fact that the average lawmaker is far wealthier than his or her typical constituent. While about one percent of Americans are millionaires, 44 percent of those serving in Congress can claim as much.

“The biggest takeaway from all of this is that even thought the collective wealth of members of congress appears to have declined, members of Congress are still so much more wealthy than the average American — and even more wealthy than a lot of wealthy Americans,” CRP spokesman Dave Levinthal told Hotsheet.

More on CBS News’ Political Hotsheet