Through my 30-year business career I have worked to reduce overhead and waste so that resources can focus on improving outcomes. As a representative of the people in northeast Wisconsin, I’m continuing this focus because I cannot in good conscience call for spending cuts and tighter budgets if I don’t do the same in my own office.  Unfortunately, recent local press accounts presented an inaccurate picture on House office spending by only focusing on certain areas and neglecting a number of important facts.

Each year members of Congress receive an annual budget. I have cut my annual budget by more than 11 percent—initially rolling it back to the 2008 amount; I reduced my budget again this year by lowering it to 2007 levels. I cut my district office rent by 40 percent from what my predecessor spent by finding space that met our needs without emptying our wallet.   

I also had the lowest personnel expenses and the smallest staff in the Wisconsin delegation.  In fact, USA Today recently ranked my office as one of the best in Congress when examining personnel costs and among the lowest 1/3 of Congress for total spending. I also made a personal decision last year to scale back my salary to 2008 levels and donate the rest to local charities in northeast Wisconsin.

Reducing this year’s budget back to 2007 levels saves the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. To put this reduction into perspective, if each agency in the federal government were to take the steps I’ve taken in my own office and roll back their budgets to 2007 levels, we would reduce our national deficit by more than 80 percent overnight.     

The expenses that were mentioned in the press involved communicating with and listening to the people of northeast Wisconsin—something that I believe is a very important aspect of being a representative. Additionally, six of the eight representatives in Wisconsin, as reelected officials, did not have all the start-up expenses that a new freshmen setting up a first time office would have.

Informing constituents of important events like job fairs and listening to their concerns are top priorities of mine and, if anything, warrant even more resources. My office has developed a number of ways for me to stay connected with the folks at home when I’m required to be in Washington D.C.  E-newsletters, surveys and tele-town halls help keep constituents up-to-date on what is happening in Congress and allow me to get their feedback, thoughts and ideas firsthand as well.

My own office has shown that government can rein in spending while ensuring constituents and taxpayers don’t suffer from the cuts. Unfortunately with federal agencies throwing $800,000 parties in Vegas, this seems like a principle that is still lost in too many parts of our government. The fiscal trajectory of our country and the economic security of future generations would be dramatically improved if the federal government were to operate more efficiently and I’m working every day to do my part in that effort.

This op-ed ran in the Green Bay Press Gazette on April 25th under the title, "Guest Column: more to the story of House office spending"