John Boehner, apparently no stranger to the notion that actions speak stronger than words, has been successful in getting House lawmakers to trim their own budgets, reports USA Today:
The House of Representatives will spend 15% less on its own operations this year than it did three years ago under a cost-cutting effort launched by Speaker John Boehner that is on pace to save taxpayers more than $400 million by the end of this year
When Republicans took control of the House in January 2011, Boehner, the new speaker, said cutting House spending would be a priority.
Since then, House lawmakers have seen a nearly 20% decrease in their office budgets. Three years ago, the average lawmaker had an annual $1.5 million budget, which is down to $1.2 million. Those budgets — which vary by office — cover everything from staff salaries to district office rent and bottled water.