The 118th Congress will be remembered for many firsts: Electing the first Black leader in the House, that 15-round speaker’s vote, and then removing that same speaker. The latest: Leadership swapped their apple-green members’ pins for deep navy ones mid-cycle at a cost of $40,000, according to one source familiar with the decision.
40,000 bucks for 540 people is like 75 bucks a person. It’s only a big deal if folks make it a big deal to spend time debating discussing. The biggest waste is spending significant time debating this given the salaries of all members involved.
It’s still congress carving out a special perk for themselves. Give them a basic badge like all the support staff, and make them provide their own lanyard/case like they likely do for everyone else.
It’s part of the job. It is a special privilege to be a member of congress. And the tradition of a congressional pin goes back a long time. I don’t think it’s uncommon for members of government to have some trinket the is a physical display of their position.
https://rollcall.com/2005/01/20/for-members-of-congress-traditional-lapel-pin-serves-as-more-than-just-a-form-of-identification/
Agreed 100
Still sounds high though, right? Are they made of tantalum?
Just think of all the tech bros and finance bros with their branded Patagonia vests and backpacks. $75 for federally elected leaders to have a pin that doubles as a security badge is a nothing burger, and shouldn’t distract from passing of a budget which I am actually scared about.
It could have been one tenth as much and still be a gigantic waste of money AND it demonstrates how they’re a bunch of gigantic hypocrites.