Members of the House of Representatives have one consolidated allowance, the Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA), with which to operate their offices. The first full year of the MRA was the second session of the 104th Congress (1996). It was made subject to regulations and adjustments of the Committee on House Administration. Representatives have a high degree of flexibility to use the MRA to operate their offices in a way that supports their congressional duties and responsibilities, and individual office spending may be as varied as the districts Members represent. Following FY2010, when the appropriation for the MRA reached its prior peak of $660.0 million, the account decreased in FY2011, FY2012, and FY2013 (-7.1%, -6.4%, and -5.2%, respectively); increased from FY2013 to FY2014 (+1.9%); remained flat in FY2015 (0.0%); remained flat in FY2016 (0.0%); increased from FY2016 to FY2017 (+1.5%); remained flat in FY2018 (0.0%); increased from FY2018 to FY2019 (+2.0%); increased from FY2019 to FY2020 (+7.2%); increased from FY2020 to FY2021 (+4.1%); increased from FY2021 to FY2022 (+21.0%); increased from FY2022 to FY2023 (+4.6%); remained flat in FY2024; increased from FY2024 to FY2025 (+4.9%); and remained flat in FY2026. For FY2027, the House requested $929.0 million, an increase of $79.0 million (+9.3%). The House-reported bill (H.R. 9010, 119th Congress) would provide $900.0 million (+5.9%). Although changes to the authorizations for individual offices operate on a different timeline, they have followed a similar pattern. In the 112th Congress, the House agreed to H.Res. 22, which reduced the amount authorized for salaries and expenses of Member, committee, and leadership offices in 2011 and 2012. This resolution stated that the MRA allowances for these years may not exceed 95% of the amount established for 2010. Individual MRAs were further reduced 6.4% in 2012 and 8.2% in 2013. In 2014, the individual MRAs increased by 1.0%. In 2015, the individual MRAs remained flat. In 2016, the individual MRAs increased by 1.0%. The individual 2017 allowances initially increased by 3.9% from 2016, and then by another $25,000 when the House agreed to H.Res. 411. In 2018, the individual MRAs increased by $25,000. In 2019, the individual MRAs increased by 1.0%. In 2020, the individual MRAs increased by $62,250. In 2021, the individual MRAs increased by $65,000. In 2022, the individual MRAs increased by 21.0%. In 2023, the individual MRAs were recalculated generally. In 2024, 2025, and 2026, the individual MRAs remained unchanged from the prior year. This report provides a history and overview of the MRA and examines spending patterns in recent years. The data exclude nonvoting Members, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, as well as Members who were not in Congress for the entirety of the session. Information is provided on total spending and spending for various categories, including personnel compensation; travel; rent, utilities, and communications; printing and reproduction; other services; supplies and materials; equipment; and franked mail. The data collected demonstrate that, despite variations, many Members allocate their spending in a similar manner, and spending allocation patterns have remained relatively consistent over time.
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