Rep. Trey Gowdy Returns $271k to Treasury

One of the biggest criticisms of politicians is for hypocrisy. "Do as I say, not as I do," goes the refrain.

Lately, the most common form of hypocrisy is aimed at those politicians who decry the problem of the national debt but will neither raise taxes nor cut spending.

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-4) has been one of the loudest critics of out-of-control spending, and in his own office he's trying to set an example of how to do with more with less.

Gowdy's office announced on Thursday that he would be returning $271,000 of his Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA) to the Treasury and directed toward deficit reduction.  

According to Gowdy's spokesperson Josh Dix, "The MRA is money appropriated to each member of congress to administer the duties of the office including, among other things, staff salaries and office expenses. Each Congressional office is allocated a MRA, and it is the duty of each office to manage the MRA allocation."

It's the second year in a row Gowdy's office has come in under budget. Last year Gowdy returned over $100,000.

Rep. Gowdy said, "I am blessed to represent a district that allows me to practice fiscal discipline and to work with women and men in our offices who are willing to go above and beyond the traditional call of duty."

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