After one of these trips, the caffeine-fueled congressman picked up his notebook and pen and went over his monthly budget.

"I added up what I was spending in airports and I was shocked," he said. Each soda and gum purchase at Salt Lake International Airport cost $3.17.

Few members of Congress would worry about such small purchases, but few members of Congress are in the same financial situation as Bishop, a retired teacher who now represents Utah's 1st Congressional District.

Out of 435 members of the House, Bishop ranks 430th in personal wealth, according to financial disclosures from 2006 compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group tracking the effect of money on campaigns and policy.

The 2007 reports are in, and the center plans on releasing the new figures later this year. Bishop still expects to come in near the bottom. His wealth hasn't changed much since becoming a congressman.

"There are not many like him," said Massie Ritsch, spokesman for the center that runs the site OpenSecrets.org. "Members of Congress increased their wealth considerably in the last three years."

On average, members of Congress saw their net worth rise 84 percent from 2004 to 2006. More than 60 of the 100 senators are now estimated to be millionaires, including Utah Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett. The median income in the Senate is $1.7 million.

The House isn't that wealthy. The median net worth there is $675,000. Still more than 40 percent of House members come in at $1 million or more. These estimates don't include members' congressional salaries or the value of their homes.

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Bishop's worth

So, what's Bishop's net worth for 2007?

Just $43,000. That sum combines his educator pension, a bank account and a mutual fund.

Unlike many of his colleagues, Bishop doesn't have to use his imagination to feel the pain of his constituents over rising health-care costs and grocery and gas hikes.

"If you are rich, it is an annoyance. If you are in the middle income, it becomes a major problem," he said. "I perhaps see some of these things closer than other people."

Still, compared to the average Utahn, Bishop is far from poor. He receives a congressional salary of $169,300, plus his $27,000 a year pension. That means he makes about four times the median Utah household income of slightly more than $51,000.

Bishop brings home more money than he ever has before, even more than when he supplemented his teacher's salary by being a contract lobbyist at the Utah Legislature.

"When I came back here [in 2003] I met with people who talked about how much they would have to cut back, how much they were losing by becoming a member of Congress and I would say 'Oh yeah, me, too,' " he said. "I was just licking my chops thinking this is cool."

Then he started to realize the added expenses. He not only had his wife and five children in Brigham City, but he also needed to get an apartment in Washington. He had dues to certain Capitol clubs and Republican organizations. He was now required to contribute to his retirement fund. To help pay for his campaign and secure his pension, he had to take out a second mortgage on his family home that easily surpassed $50,000.

And then there was the health insurance.

Congress offered the same plan he had as a teacher, so he didn't have to switch carriers, but he did have to start paying a premium. On top of that, the health-insurance laws are different in Utah and D.C.

If he remained a high school history teacher, his children could stay on his insurance until they turned 25. But as a congressman, they were dropped when they turned 21.

The day he took office, his three oldest children became uninsured. He encouraged them to get health savings accounts until they could find jobs that offered health insurance.

"We kinda rolled the dice, and so far we have been somewhat successful," he said.

Somewhat.

The first week in office, his oldest son threw out his shoulder in a pickup basketball game. His friends took him to the emergency room. Bishop had to work out a deal with the hospital to pay the bill in monthly installments. Later, he had a daughter who had some medical trouble. He pleaded with the insurance company to help with the costs. He lost.

"The sad thing is, I really think I was better off when I was a teacher," he said, referring to the amount of disposable income he has available.

Bishop has always managed his own finances, drawing up a tight monthly budget.

Some items are not negotiable. Despite being "shocked" at his Dr. Pepper expenses, he refuses to forgo his favorite soda. He also won't part with his Salt Lake Bees season tickets.

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Pennies and politics

He doesn't think his modest means have affected his policy positions. But Bishop has had his political positions reinforced by his life experiences. Consider his lack of dental insurance as an example.

He couldn't afford dental insurance as a teacher, and he can't afford it now. So when one of his children needed some dental work, he had to shop around. Bishop said the price disparity between dentists showed the need for more personal involvement in health-care decisions, and he believes an infusion of comparison shopping will bring down costs, which has long been a tenant of Republican health care proposals.

To help the economy and middle-income people, Bishop said Congress must find bipartisan solutions to the energy crisis, an issue that has dominated the debate in Washington for weeks now. He wants more oil drilling in the United States, more conservation efforts and more investment in renewable energy, saying the high price of gas doesn't just hurt at the pump, but will increase the costs for food and other products that are shipped by trucks. And he wants to see taxes slashed.

He says he rarely sees the disparity in wealth with other members of Congress "until I socialize with them."

They have nice large homes with fancy cars parked in the driveway. Bishop has a one-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of a walk-up.

And he doesn't expect a windfall anytime soon.

When Bishop retires from Congress he plans to serve a Mormon mission, and he would like to go back to the classroom.

If he did, he would return to the ranks of the average Utah family, probably making less than the median income with little hope of reaching the financial heights of many of his political contemporaries.

"I wish you hadn't put it that way," he said, "but that is probably accurate."

mcanham@sltrib.com

Running on near empty

With only a few dozen lawmakers actually living on their congressional salary, Bishop complains that campaign-finance rules aimed at leveling the playing field have in fact made it more slanted.

"It discourages a normal person from even wanting to get involved in the process," he said, complaining that federal rules necessitate hiring an outside accountant.

He is against donor limits, meant to curb the power of big corporations and the wealthy. He is against public financing, similar to what presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain is expected to take.

Instead, Bishop advocates less restrictive campaign-finance laws.

He wants candidates to have the ability to accept donations of any size from anyone as long as it is promptly disclosed.