A new Congress means a new distribution of offices on Capitol Hill — and it's going to cost us. Some 60 freshmen senators and representatives have selected office space via a lottery system much like what some colleges use to assign dorm space to upperclassmen. Meanwhile, returning members of Congress jockey to move into better office space closer to meeting rooms and the House or Senate floor. The last time these moves were made, in late 2012, the moving bill totaled $1.5 million.
Critics suggest this game of musical chairs may not be worth the price. "What's driving this is the senior members of Congress who want even bigger, fancier places to hang their hats," said Pete Sepp of the National Taxpayers Union. "That's fine, but the taxpayers are the ones paying for it. They deserve to be consulted."
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