Office Budgets: What They Can Spend
The $1.9 million per year each House member gets — and the rules around it.
Each House member receives a Members' Representational Allowance (MRA) to run their office. In 2025, the average MRA is approximately $1.9 million per year, ranging from about $1.85 million to $2.09 million depending on factors like the distance between the district and Washington, D.C. and the cost of office space in the district.
The MRA covers: staff salaries (the largest portion — members can hire up to 18 full-time employees), district office rent, office supplies and equipment, travel between Washington and the district, franked mail (official correspondence with constituents), and other official expenses.
Senators receive a larger budget that varies more widely based on state population. Senators from larger states like California or Texas receive significantly more than those from smaller states like Wyoming or Vermont, because they represent more constituents and need more staff.
What they CANNOT spend office budgets on: personal expenses, campaign activities, political party events, gifts to other members, or anything unrelated to their official duties. All spending is publicly reported. When you see a member's office expenditures in our data, that money came from taxpayers through these allowances.