Senators and Congressional representatives are actually supposed to show up to work or forfeit their pay for the time they aren't there.
Quote:
According to 2 U.S. Code 39, "The Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives (upon certification by the Clerk of the House of Representatives), respectively, shall deduct from the monthly payments (or other periodic payments authorized by law) of each Member or Delegate the amount of his salary for each day that he has been absent from the Senate or House, respectively, unless such Member or Delegate assigns as the reason for such absence the sickness of himself or of some member of his family."
Alot of them are getting paid anyways. The July/August The Atlantic Monthly, citing this report, listed the top ten legislative deadbeats by the amount of "paid vacation" which they got paid for but shouldn't have been. So in true Letterman style, I give you:
Top Ten Legislative Loafers
10. Rep. Peter Deutsch (D-Florida) $14,487.24
9. Rep. Ernie Fletcher (R-Kentucky) $16,640.91
8. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) $17,636.64
7. Sen. James DeMint (R-South Carolina) $23,305.56
6. Sen. Bob Graham (D-Florida) $25,269.53
5. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Illinois) $26,197.51
4. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Connecticut) $38,828.79
3. Sen. John Edwards (D-North Carolina) $63,543.16
2. Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Missouri) $81,362..53
1. Sen. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) $90,932.68
Source: The Atlantic Monthly July/August 2005. pg. 47 and Numerous Congress Members May Have Received Illegal Congressional Pay. National Tax Payers Union/National Tax Payers Union Foundation.
