FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY BEGINS AT HOME

Seventh District lawmaker will return nearly $80k in 2013 office budget surplus to U.S. Treasury

WASHINGTON, DC — Continuing to make good on his promise to cut federal spending, Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) today announced he will be returning nearly $80,000 from his 2013 congressional office budget to the U.S. Treasury for the purposes of deficit reduction.  Since coming to Congress in Jan. 2009, the 7th District lawmaker has returned nearly one-quarter of a million dollars ($271,000) from his office operating budget.

“I have always tried to provide the people of New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District with the best possible constituent service at the least possible cost to taxpayers," Lance said.  “It is my hope that this effort will send an appropriate message to my constituents that fiscal responsibility begins at home.”

Lance has a record of reducing spending on legislative operations in Washington — voting to slash congressional office budgets by 20 percent.

"Members of Congress cannot seriously talk about deficit reduction without first operating their own office budgets in a fiscally conservative manner,” added Lance.  "At a time when so many Americans are tightening their budgets, I have made every effort to do the same with my congressional office budget.”