Members’ Representational Allowance: History and Usage

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Report metadata

Identifier

R40962

Version

34

Product type

Reports

Status

Active

Published

Oct 13, 2026

Source updated

Oct 15, 2026, 4:53 pm UTC

Authors: Ida A. Brudnick

Source topics: Congressional Funding, Congressional Operations

Politically.com intentionally does not reproduce the report summary or full text. Use the official Congress.gov links above to read the product in its source context.

Structured Congress.gov references

Related federal bills

• HR 8772Making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 1854Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1996
  104th Congress
• HR 3754Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1997
  104th Congress
• HR 2209Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1998
  105th Congress
• HR 1905Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2000
  106th Congress
• HR 4516Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2001
  106th Congress
• HR 3219Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018
  115th Congress
• HR 4487Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2015
  113th Congress
• HR 5882Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2013
  112th Congress
• HR 2551Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012
  112th Congress
• HRES 5Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 5325Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act
  114th Congress
• HR 3162Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2018
  115th Congress
• HRES 552Requiring Members of the House of Representatives whose Members' Representational Allowance is used to pay expenses incurred for official travel to provide the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives with detailed information on the travel, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 562To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit Members of Congress to use facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purposes of meeting with constituents, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 1876To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for House of Representatives, Member's Representational Allowance for fiscal year 2024.
  118th Congress
• HR 3003To amend title 5, United States Code, to restrict trading and ownership of certain financial instruments by Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 5772To impose a fine on Members of Congress in the event of a Government shutdown, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HR 5880To provide that reimbursement of Members of Congress by the House of Representatives for expenses incurred in connection with official duties are not subject to tax.
  118th Congress
• HRES 1211Requiring Members of the House of Representatives whose Members' Representational Allowance is used to pay expenses incurred for official travel to provide the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives with detailed information on the travel, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HRES 1331Carrying out recommendations issued by the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 1078To provide that a former Member of Congress receiving compensation as a lobbyist shall be ineligible to receive certain Federal retirement benefits or to use certain congressional benefits and services, to require each Member of Congress to post on the Member's official public website a hyperlink to the most recent annual financial disclosure report filed by the Member under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, to prohibit the use of appropriated funds to pay for the costs of travel by the spouse of a Member of Congress who accompanies the Member on official travel, to restrict the use of travel promotional awards by Members of Congress who receive such awards in connection with official air travel, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HRES 1026Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that any Member of the House who makes a public statement advocating for defunding the police should not be permitted to use Federal funds to contract with a private entity for security personnel support, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 4471To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit Members of Congress to use facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purposes of meeting with constituents, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HR 7943To permit Members of the House of Representatives to use the Members' Representational Allowance to continue to provide services for casework projects on behalf of former constituents who no longer reside in the Member's congressional district as the result of congressional redistricting.
  117th Congress
• HRES 530Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the amount of the Members' Representational Allowance should be increased in response to increasing threats against Members of the House.
  116th Congress
• HRES 756Implementing the recommendations adopted by the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.
  116th Congress
• HR 577To provide that a former Member of Congress receiving compensation as a lobbyist shall be ineligible to receive certain Federal retirement benefits or to use certain congressional benefits and services, to require each Member of Congress to post on the Member's official public website a hyperlink to the most recent annual financial disclosure report filed by the Member under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, to prohibit the use of appropriated funds to pay for the costs of travel by the spouse of a Member of Congress who accompanies the Member on official travel, to restrict the use of travel promotional awards by Members of Congress who receive such awards in connection with official air travel, and for other purposes.
  116th Congress
• HR 1626To prevent the enrichment of certain Government officers and employees or their families through Federal funds or contracting, and for other purposes.
  116th Congress
• HR 2370To provide an allowance to offices of Members of the House of Representatives which shall be available for the compensation of interns, and for other purposes.
  116th Congress
• HR 7251To provide for reductions in the Members' Representational Allowance of Members of the House of Representatives who fail to appear to cast votes or record presence in the House at any time during which proxy voting is permitted in the House.
  116th Congress
• HRES 642Prohibiting the use of the Members' Representational Allowance of a Member of the House of Representatives to pay awards, settlements, or other compensation in connection with allegations of sexual harassment or sexual misconduct by the Member or the employees of the Member's office, and for other purposes.
  115th Congress
• HRES 724Requiring each employing office of the House of Representatives to adopt an anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policy for the office's workplace, establishing the Office of Employee Advocacy to provide legal assistance and consultation to employees of the House regarding procedures and proceedings under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, and for other purposes.
  115th Congress
• HR 839Public Service Spending Integrity Act
  115th Congress
• HR 2951To allow Members of Congress to carry a concealed handgun anywhere in the United States, with exceptions.
  115th Congress
• HR 4822Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act
  115th Congress
• HR 4497To amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to prohibit the use of public funds to pay settlements and awards for workplace harassment and discrimination claims under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 which arise from acts committed personally by Members of Congress, and for other purposes.
  115th Congress
• HR 4503Empowering Victims of Sexual Misconduct Act
  115th Congress
• HR 4674Stop Taxpayers Obligations to Perpetrators of Sexual Harassment Act
  115th Congress
• HR 6640Prohibiting Perks and Privileges Act
  115th Congress
• HR 6711House Intern Pay Act of 2018
  115th Congress
• HR 6956Intern Opportunity Act
  115th Congress
• S 2236Congressional Harassment Reform Act
  115th Congress
• S 2872Congressional Accountability and Harassment Reform Act
  115th Congress
• HR 5993CAN Act
  114th Congress
• HR 1381Transparency in Government Act of 2015
  114th Congress
• HR 3077Giveback Deficit Reduction Act
  114th Congress
• HR 3147Constituent Services Disclosure Act of 2015
  114th Congress
• HR 5166WINGMAN Act
  114th Congress
• HR 5336Taxpayer-Funded Travel Transparency Act of 2016
  114th Congress
• HRES 558Prohibiting the use of the Members' Representational Allowance for the payment of the costs of first-class airline accommodations.
  113th Congress
• HR 3774Citizen Legislator Act of 2012
  112th Congress
• HRES 482Prohibiting the use of a Members' representational allowance to obtain advertising on any Internet site other than an official site of the Member involved.
  112th Congress
• HRES 580To prohibit the use of the Members' Representational Allowance for air travel expenses of any individual unless the individual provides an itemized description of the expenses, including the specific flight number, and uses a credit card provided by the House of Representatives to pay for the expenses.
  112th Congress
• HR 5151Congressional Oversight and Spending Transparency (COST) Act of 2010
  111th Congress
• HRES 1707Holding Congress Accountable Resolution of 2010
  111th Congress
• HR 5598To establish a program under which employing offices of the House of Representatives may agree to reimburse employees for child care expenses, and for other purposes.
  110th Congress
• HRES 1186Prohibiting the use of funds in a Members' Representational Allowance for the long-term lease of a vehicle.
  110th Congress
• HRES 879Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Members of the House of Representatives should use alternative fuel vehicles in their professional and personal lives.
  109th Congress
• HR 5338CLEAR Act
  109th Congress
• HR 2106To permit Members of the House of Representatives to use funds provided in Member's Representational Allowances to obtain POW/MIA flags and distribute them to constituents.
  108th Congress
• HR 1046To allow each Member of the House of Representatives to hire one additional employee, if the employee is hired from the welfare rolls, and to provide that, if such employment is in the District of Columbia, the jurisdiction represented by the Member may count the employment toward its welfare participation rate requirement.
  105th Congress
• HR 1790To require any amounts remaining in Members' Representational Allowances at the end of a fiscal year to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt.
  116th Congress
• HR 1085To require any amounts remaining in Members' Representational Allowances at the end of a fiscal year to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt.
  116th Congress
• HR 496To require amounts remaining in Members' representational allowances at the end of a fiscal year to be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt, and for other purposes.
  113th Congress
• HR 297To require amounts remaining in Members' representational allowances at the end of a fiscal year to be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt, and for other purposes.
  112th Congress
• HR 2656To require amounts remaining in Members' representational allowances at the end of a fiscal year to be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt, and for other purposes.
  111th Congress
• HR 4825To direct unused appropriations for Members' Representational Allowances to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt.
  111th Congress
• HR 1273To require any amounts remaining in a Member's Representational Allowance at the end of a fiscal year to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt.
  109th Congress
• HR 921To require amounts remaining in Members' representational allowances at the end of a fiscal year to be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt, and for other purposes.
  108th Congress
• HR 2412To require any amounts appropriated for Members' Representational Allowances for the House of Representatives for a session of Congress that remain after all payments are made from such Allowances for the session to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt.
  108th Congress
• HR 2414To require any amounts appropriated for Members' Representational Allowances for the House of Representatives for a fiscal year that remain after all payments are made from such Allowances for the year to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt.
  107th Congress
• HR 2117To require any amounts appropriated for Members' Representational Allowances for the House of Representatives for a session of Congress that remain after all payments are made from such Allowances for the session to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt.
  106th Congress
• HR 2171To require any amounts appropriated for Members' Representational Allowances for the House of Representatives for a fiscal year that remain after all payments are made from such Allowances for the year to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt.
  106th Congress
• HR 866To provide that Members of the House of Representatives may return unused amounts from the Members' Representational Allowance to the Treasury for deficit reduction.
  105th Congress
• HR 376To provide for return of excess amounts from official allowances of Members of the House of Representatives to the Treasury for deficit reduction.
  104th Congress
• HR 572To provide for return of excess amounts from official allowances of Members of the House of Representatives to the Treasury for deficit reduction.
  104th Congress
• HR 3189TRIM Growth Act
  111th Congress
• HR 1088TRIM Growth Act
  112th Congress
• HR 4761Congressional Belt-Tightening Act of 2010
  111th Congress
• HR 2779Making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes.
  116th Congress
• HR 7611Making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, and for other purposes.
  116th Congress
• HR 4112Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1999
  105th Congress
• HR 2918Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2010
  111th Congress
• HR 2055Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012
  112th Congress
• HR 2998Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018
  115th Congress
• HR 3266Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018
  115th Congress
• HR 3354Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018
  115th Congress
• HRES 22Reducing the amount authorized for salaries and expenses of Member, committee, and leadership offices in 2011 and 2012.
  112th Congress
• HRES 411Adjusting the amount of the Members' Representational Allowance.
  115th Congress
• HRES 5Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Eighteenth Congress, and for other purposes.
  118th Congress
• HRES 8Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives of the One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HRES 56Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the amount of the Members' Representational Allowance should be increased in response to increasing threats against Members of the House.
  117th Congress
• HRES 73Providing the Sergeant-at-Arms with the authority to fine Members, Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner for failure to complete security screening for entrance to the House Chamber, and for other purposes.
  117th Congress
• HRES 6Adopting the Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, and for other purposes.
  116th Congress
• HRES 5Adopting rules for the One Hundred Fifteenth Congress.
  115th Congress
• HCONRES 113Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require any Member whose Members' Representational Allowance is used to pay for a flight on a private aircraft to report information on the flight not later than 30 days after the flight, and requiring any Senator whose official funds are used to pay for a flight on a private aircraft to report information on the flight not later than 30 days after the flight.
  113th Congress
• HRES 135Holding Congress Accountable Act of 2011
  112th Congress
• HR 6Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
  110th Congress
• HR 106Congressional Budget Accountability Act
  113th Congress
• HR 121Congressional Budget Accountability Act
  112th Congress
• HR 262MRA Act
  112th Congress
• HR 272To require amounts remaining in Members' representational allowances at the end of a fiscal year to be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt, and for other purposes.
  110th Congress
• HR 267To require amounts remaining in Members' representational allowances at the end of a fiscal year to be used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt, and for other purposes.
  109th Congress
• HR 47To require any amounts appropriated for Members' Representational Allowances for the House of Representatives for a fiscal year that remain after all payments are made from such Allowances for the year to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt.
  107th Congress
• HR 431To require any amounts appropriated for Members' Representational Allowances for the House of Representatives for a fiscal year that remain after all payments are made from such Allowances for the year to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt.
  106th Congress
• HR 80To require the return of excess amounts from the representational allowances of Members of the House of Representatives to the Treasury for deficit reduction.
  105th Congress
• HR 26To provide for return of excess amounts from official allowances of Members of the House of Representatives to the Treasury for deficit reduction.
  104th Congress
• HR 5305To require any amounts remaining in the Members' Representational Allowance at the end of a fiscal year to be deposited in the Treasury and used for deficit reduction or to reduce the Federal debt, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HRES 178To establish the Members' Representational Allowance for each Member of the House of Representatives for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 as the amount of the Allowance for fiscal year 2025, reduced by $100,000.
  119th Congress
• HR 253To amend title 5, United States Code, to restrict trading and ownership of certain financial instruments by Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 2519To provide a per diem allowance for Members of Congress for the costs of lodging, meals, and incidental expenses incurred because of travel to and from the Washington Metropolitan Area in order to cast votes in Congress, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 2642To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit Members of Congress to use facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purposes of meeting with constituents, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 4036To amend title 5, United States Code, to prohibit the short sale of certain financial investments by Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 5106To amend chapter 131 of title 5 to prohibit Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents from owning or trading stocks, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 6731To amend chapter 131 of title 5 to prohibit Members of Congress, the President, Vice President, and their spouses and dependents from owning or trading stocks, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 7008To amend chapter 131 of title 5 to require certain restrictions on stocks for Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 7337To prohibit the use of funds available to Representatives and Senators with respect to official expenses to purchase or lease a motor vehicle unless the motor vehicle is manufactured in the United States by unionized workers.
  119th Congress
• HR 7852To require new ethics obligations and restrictions for Members of Congress, their spouse, and dependents, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 8076To amend chapter 131 of title 5, United States Code, to prohibit covered individuals from trading on prediction markets, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 9222To ban stock trading and prediction market participation for the President, Vice President, and Members of Congress, suspend pay for Members of Congress during shutdowns, establish term limits for Congress, establish term limits and ethics rules for the Supreme Court, reform the presidential pardon power, revoke the statute of limitations for the President and Vice President, strengthen the foreign and domestic emoluments clauses, overturn Citizens United, ban dark money, corporate PACs, and partisan gerrymandering, end voter suppression, and restrict government pensions for felony convictions and lawsuits by the President, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 9358To improve the lives of the American people, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 9367To amend chapter 131 of title 5, United States Code, to restrict Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents from profiting off prediction markets, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 9429To amend chapter 131 of title 5 to prohibit Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents from owning or trading stocks, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 9560To amend chapter 131 of title 5 to restrict certain financial trade and ownership for certain Federal officials and their spouses and dependents, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 9769To require Members of Congress to provide disclosures related to absences from attendance, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HRES 665Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1908) to prohibit stock trading and ownership by Members of Congress and their spouses and dependent children, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HRES 725Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1908) to prohibit stock trading and ownership by Members of Congress and their spouses and dependent children, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HRES 802Requiring the House of Representatives to convene and hold recorded quorum calls during a Government shutdown, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HCONRES 20Establishing the Congressional Fitness Challenge, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 3205A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit Members of Congress to use facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs for the purposes of meeting with constituents, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 3649A bill to amend chapter 131 of title 5 to prohibit Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents from owning or trading stocks, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 3766A bill to prohibit the use of funds available to Representatives and Senators with respect to official expenses to purchase or lease a motor vehicle unless the motor vehicle is manufactured in the United States by unionized workers.
  119th Congress
• S 4134A bill to amend chapter 131 of title 5, United States Code, to require certain restrictions on stocks for Members of Congress and their spouses and dependents, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• S 849A bill to prohibit displaying the flag of a country other than the United States on Capitol Hill and to prohibit Members of Congress from using official funds to purchase the flag of a country other than the United States.
  119th Congress
• HR 10199To amend title 5, United States Code, to prohibit the President, the Vice President, Members of Congress, senior United States Government officials, and their spouses and dependents from owning or trading stocks, digital assets, and prediction market contracts, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HR 1908To prohibit stock trading and ownership by Members of Congress and their spouses and dependent children, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress
• HRES 500Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3354) making appropriations for the Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules; and waiving a requirement of clause 6(a) of rule XIII with respect to consideration of certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules.
  115th Congress
• HR 9010Making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, and for other purposes.
  119th Congress