Congress getting richer

[August]

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily...164000800.html

According to a new report in The Washington Post, the median net worth of the current Congress rose 5% during the recession while it fell 39% for the average American. The wealthiest one-third of lawmakers saw their net worth rise 14%. The Washington Post disclosed these statistics in a recent story on the wealth gap between Congressional members and the American public.
"These are supposed to be our representatives," says The Daily Ticker's Aaron Task. "If they're not living the same lives or understanding the lives that the average American is living, how can they really represent our interests?"
The Post analyzed the financial disclosure forms and public records for all Congressional members from 2004 to 2010. Some key findings of the report are:

• By 2010, the median estimated wealth for members of the House of Representatives was $746,000; for senators it was $2.6 million.
• There was virtually no difference between the wealth of Republicans and Democrats in 2010. Just six years earlier, the net worth of Republicans was 44% higher than the net worth of Democrats.
• 28% of Congress, or 150 members, reported earning more income from outside jobs and investments than from their Congressional salary of $174,000.
• 27% of Congressional members saw a decline in their net worth between 2004 and 2010.