Cutting saving millions in the House

Committee budgets, which vary based on size and merit, have also been trimmed. The Natural Resources Committee, for example, operated on $8.4 million annually in 2010 while this year's budget is $6.5 million, a 22.35% cut.The Senate is subject to the sequester cuts which affect office and committee budgets, but the Democratic-controlled chamber has not self-inflicted comparable operational cuts.The cuts force lawmakers to find new ways to save. Miller canceled a cleaning service for her district office a $4,000 decision her employees supported when they were informed it was that or furloughs. Miller's message: "This is what a Swiffer looks like."Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., directs staff to fly in to Baltimore's airport instead of Washington's Reagan airport because direct flights from Charlotte are cheaper. Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., cut back on rental cars and online ad spending. Even Boehner has cut back on subscriptions and spent less on events, including the St. Patrick's Day lunch the speaker hosts each year. "It forces you to think about ways you can save money," Miller said.
It's also forcing tougher choices on where to spend money. The U.S. Capitol Police budget hasn't faced GOP-inflicted cuts although the police force has been impacted by the sequester to the tune of $18.8 million this year--and Boehner has pledged that none of the Capitol complex will be closed to the public because of sequester cuts. The White House has cut public tours, citing the cuts.Democrats have chafed at Boehner's decision to spend as much as $3 million in taxpayer funds so the U.S. House can mount a legal defense of the Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits gay marriage while staffers are forced to go without pay. For example, about 17 Democratic aides employed by the House Administration Committee face up to 19 days of furlough, according to staff director Jamie Fleet.Lawmakers approved a spending bill that includes $61.2 million to repair the crumbling U.S. Capitol dome, and Miller said her committee is working on how to budget for an overhaul of the Cannon House Office Building in 2015, a costly project that is likely to take ten years to complete. "You know what? This is the new normal as far as I'm concerned because it's not like next year there's going to be a whole bunch more money," Miller said.