Four In CT’s Congressional Delegation Are Millionaires
by Hugh McQuaid | Jan 5, 2012 2:19pm
(6) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: Congress
Four of the seven members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation can count themselves as millionaires, according to disclosure statements complied by OpenSecrets.org.
The nonpartisan research group, which tracks money in politics, used disclosure items required by the federal government to create a range of estimated net worth for each member of Congress and ranked their wealth against the other members of their chamber.
According to the filings, most of Connecticut’s representatives in Washington are doing well financially.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal for instance, ranked as the sixth richest member of the Senate. In 2010, the freshman senator’s net worth was estimated between $55.1 million and $91.1 million.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of the 3rd District was also ranked near the top of her chamber. Of the 435 members of the House, DeLauro ranked 25th. In 2010, her net worth was estimated between $5.8 million and $27.5 million.
The next wealthiest delegate in 2010 was 4th District Rep. Jim Himes. His net worth was estimated between $2.6 million and $6 million. The website ranked Himes the 72nd richest member of the House.
Retiring U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman rounded out the millionaires of the state’s delegation. His net worth was placed between $907,000 and $3 million last year, making him the 58th wealthiest member of the Senate.
Wealth levels dropped dramatically among the remaining three U.S. representatives. U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney of the 2nd District ranked 296 among House members. The website estimated his net worth in 2010 at between $133,000 and $595,000.
With an estimated net worth of between $135,000 and $25,000, the website ranked 1st District Rep. John Larson 313th in the House.
U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, who is also running for Lieberman’s soon-to-be vacated Senate seat, was among the poorest members of the House, according the site. He was ranked at 373 and had a net worth of between negative $28,992 and $240,000.
According to the website, the net worth ranges were calculated by offsetting the assets and incomes of lawmakers with their reported liabilities. The site said it’s important for constituents to care how much money their elected representatives have.
“About 1 percent of all Americans are millionaires. In Congress, that number regularly hovers between 40 percent and 50 percent, meaning elected leaders generally need not worry about the economic pressures many Americans face – from securing gainful employment to grappling with keeping a family financially afloat,” it said.
Tags: Congressional delegation, Blumenthal, delauro, murphy, himes, courtney, larson
(6) Comments
posted by: GoatBoyPHD | January 5, 2012 4:10pm
Top 1% household in Wealth—$6 Million
Top 10% in household wealth: $1 million
Top 1% in household income $543,000.
Blumenthal, Delauro, and Murphy are the 1%.
posted by: Disgruntled | January 5, 2012 4:35pm
Let Everyman/woman give net worth ranges like that when asked…spreads like that are meaningless except to show how detached they are from the people they represent. AND to top it off,wealth never seems to equate to honesty.
posted by: Careful | January 5, 2012 9:16pm
Why is it that Sen. Blumenthal, with a net worth pushing $100 million—“still milking the national cow”—spending our country past our already, over $15 trillion dollar deficit?
Blumenthal is the same politician who “cryed poor-mouth,” backed up by the liberal press—when he ran for office against millionaire Linda McMahon and her income from the wrestling business—which was attacked big time by the Democratic liberal press, which is controlled by the billionaire who is controlling the Obama White House.
posted by: snerdley | January 8, 2012 12:41pm
How did Blumenthal get that rich by being Attorney General?