Talk about Congressional spending…

This week, for the first time ever, the US House of Representatives released its full list of Congressional  expenditures–a whopping 3,404-page document (9.4 mb pdf).  According to CityBeat‘s calculations, San Diego’s five members spent more than $4.2 million on official duties so far this year, including more than $1.6 million in the last quarter.

Surprisingly, Republicans weren’t exactly models of fiscal conservatism. While Rep. Susan Davis, a Democrat, spent the most ($1.05 million), Rep. Brian Bilbray, a Republican was second by only a few thousand ($1.02 million). Those two were followed by Republicans Rep. Duncan Hunter ($920,000) and Rep. Darrell Issa ($911,000), while San Diego’s other Democrat, Rep. Bob Filner, spent the least ($897,000).

The document includes Congressional salaries and while Davis spent the most on personnel this year ($797,598), Bilbray and Issa are the bosses who pay the best salaries to their chiefs of staff (approximately $42,000 per quarter compared to $38,000, $37,000, $31,000 for Hunter, Davis and Filner, respectively).

As far as travel expenses go, Issa cost taxpayers the most: $59,000 this year, including $28,000 last quarter, which was more than Davis spent all year. Davis, Bilbray and Hunter each spent around $60,000 this year on mail, while Issa and Filner each only spent a few thousand.

Here are some detailed breakdowns (rounded down to the nearest 100):

Susan Davis (Year to Date/Quarter)

Disbursements: $1.05 million/$369,500

Travel: $27,280/$9,400

Mail: $62,800/$39,100

Rent/Communication/Utilities: $74,700/$30,600

Staff: $797,500/$271,200

COS Lisa Sherman: $37,200 (quarter only)

*

Brian Bilbray (Year to Date/Quarter)

Total Disbursements: $1.03 million/$353,800

Travel: $56,400/$12,100

Mail: $59,200/$10,700

Rent/Communication/Utilities: $88,100/$37,400

Staff: $715,579/$238,000

COS Steve Danon: $42,100 (quarter only)

*

Duncan Hunter (Year to Date/Quarter)

Total Disbursements: $920,700/$316,500 Q

Travel: $37,900/$12,700

Mail: $54,300/$22,000

Rent/Communication/Utilities: $54,300/$23,300

Staff: $640,200/$219,400

COS Victoria Middleton: $38,700 (quarter only)

*

Darrell Issa (Year to Date/Quarter)

Total Disbursements: $911,500/$335,600Q

Travel: $59,200/$28,000

Mail: $5,200/$2,600

Rent/Communication/Utilities: $87,100/$42,000

Staff: $694,600/$237, 300

COS Dale Neugebauer: $42,100 (quarter only)

*

Bob Filner (Year to Date/Quarter)

Total Disbursements: $897,300/$303,400 Q

Travel: $52,700/$23,900

Mail: $2,500/$990

Rent/Communication/Utilities: $79,900/$32,200

Staff: $684,800/$221,000

COS Tony Buckles: $31,300(quarter only)

Props to Steve Terrell for alerting me about this report.