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WASHINGTON - Rep. Jim Matheson, a Utah Democrat and self-described fiscal conservative, spent the largest percentage of his office allowance compared with his congressional colleagues in 2005, a new report shows.
Matheson used 99.97 percent of his congressional office budget that year, leaving only $375 unspent, according to the National Taxpayers Union, which compiled office budget data from published House reports. That's the highest percentage spent of the House's 435 members.
"If House members decided to follow Congressman Matheson's lead on running their offices, the congressional budget would be about $31 million bigger," says Pete Sepp, the group's vice president for communication.
Matheson didn't rank in the top spenders in any other year the organization surveyed. Neither of Utah's Republican representatives, Rob Bishop and Chris Cannon, showed up as one of the top spenders during any recent years, the report shows.
Matheson's office said the size of the area he represents - stretching from Salt Lake City to St. George - helps drive up costs.
"Having one of the largest congressional districts in the country, Congressman Matheson believes in utilizing the resources available to him to better serve and communicate with his constituents," a spokesman said.
The Taxpayers Union endorsed Matheson's Republican opponent, LaVar Christensen, in the last election.
Members of Congress receive an annual allowance to pay staff salaries, run their offices in Washington and in their home districts, and finance mass mailings to constituents. The amount varies depending on the size of the member's district and distance from Washington; Utah's members received about $1.3 million each in 2005.
Money left unspent after the fiscal year goes directly to pay down the budget deficit, according to the Taxpayers Union. The deficit for this fiscal year is about $244 billion.
Matheson has earned praise in the past from groups like the Taxpayers Union for his repeated fight to remove automatic pay raises for members of Congress. Representatives and senators, who make $165,200 annually, get an increase every year without voting on it specifically.