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-- the Senate's 25th richest member - Ron Wyden (D-OR) a paltry $7 million.
No wonder the body is called a millionaires club. In fact, a multimillionaire's one, hardly anyone not rich gets in.
On November 25, 2009, The New York Times Economix section headlined, "Your Senator Is (Probably) a Millionaire," saying:
In 2008, about "two-thirds of United States senators were millionaires," according to a Center for Responsive Politics (Open Secrets.org) analysis. In 2009, over half of House and Senate members reported net worth wealth at more than $1 million, 55 $10 million or more, and eight over $100 million.
In 2009, the median net worth of House members was $765,010, up from $645,503 in 2008. In the Senate, it was $2.38 million, compared to $2.27 million the previous year.
Most have considerable wealth. They want it preserved and increased, including by paying no more taxes than necessary, and in some cases, less if they can get away with it. One of Rep. Charles Rangel's transgressions was not reporting rental income from a Dominican Republic vacation property as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional income and assets on his financial disclosure statements. Perhaps also to the IRS, thinking he was too important to audit.
Open Secrets estimates Obama's 2009 net worth at up to $7.7 million. Expect that figure to grow substantially, especially after leaving office. Estimates put Bill Clinton's wealth at $200 million, his wife Hillary another $35 million. Who said public service doesn't pay well?
Obama's Full Court Press for Passage
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