Members of Congress sleeping in their Washington offices has in recent years been seen mostly as a quirky, thrifty option.
Roll Call columnist David Hawkings points out that this is also a taxpayer-funded perk for lawmakers who have made a big deal out of freezing their pay for seven years:
In short, lawmakers who choose their offices as their crash pads are getting a valuable government freebie — worth 10 percent or more of their $174,000 annual salary.
In the 1980s, Speaker Jim Wright forbade the practice as "demeaning to the institution of the House," Hawkings reports. But dozens of members climbed on board as the trend accelerated in the 1990s toward spending as much time in the home district as possible.
In addition, Washington rents continue to soar -- upwards of $2,000 a month for a one-bedroom near the Capitol -- making it hard to maintain two homes for those who are not independently wealthy. Current congressional leadership and the Ethics Committee have shown no signs of wanting to halt the practice.
It's fairly popular on the younger House side, and much more common among Republicans. In the Georgia delegation, the office sleeper crew includes GOP Reps. Buddy Carter, Doug Collins, Tom Graves and Jody Hice.
Keep in mind, it's far from a full-time sleeping arrangement. House members typically are scheduled to be in Washington only about nine nights a month.
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