Thousand-Dollar Leases
At least 10 U.S. Congressmen spend more than $1,000 a month to lease their corporate vehicles, according to an analysis by Politico.com.
The lawmakers cited a number of reasons for the seemingly high monthly costs for vehicles like the GMC Yukon and Tahoe, Chevy Malibu, and a couple Ford SUVs, among others. For one thing, as members of Congress, they are required to choose fuel-efficient vehicles. Also, because legislators are only in office for two years, their payments are higher than they would be for longer term financing. In other cases, the monthly payments — disclosed in the most recent House disbursement reports — include insurance, repairs, and maintenance.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) topped the list for highest lease payments: $2,900 a month. Cleaver defended the cost, contending that his van — which runs on runs on 70-cents-a-gallon used vegetable oil and is retrofitted with WiFi and a handicapped-accessible ramp — serves as a second office.
Click here to read the Politico.com article.
