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Sunlight Foundation Fortune 535

Measuring Net Worth – The Challenges

The Ethics in Government Act of 1978 requires members of Congress to disclose information on their personal finances, including their assets, sources of income, transactions and debts. (However, lawmakers are not required to report everything they own, including the value of their personal residences, nor their related mortgages.) They report the value of their and their spouses’ assets, the amount of income–both earned and unearned–and the extent of indebtedness in broad ranges, making the forms a very inaccurate tool for measuring wealth. For example, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reported in 2007 that she and her husband have a net worth somewhere between $86 million and negative $9 million. Whether the Speaker of the House is extremely wealthy or on the verge of declaring bankruptcy (or somewhere in between) cannot be determined from her financial disclosure form.

So take what follows with a boulder-sized grain of salt: It's all based on information from the seriously flawed disclosure system used by members of Congress.

Nevertheless, Sunlight has calculated the average net worth for each member of Congress in 1995 (or their first year in Congress, for those individuals elected after 1995) and charted that number alongside the average net worth calculated by the Center for Responsive Politics for 2006. (See methodology.)

Like all Americans, the fortunes of a member of Congress can be affected by marriage or divorce, the death of one's parents and numerous other factors. Sunlight has not made an effort to explain the change in any individual lawmaker’s wealth–there are 535 individual stories influenced by stock portfolios, mortgages, student loans, inheritance and other factors. You can ask the questions.

But before those stories can be told, some effort to provide empirical data on how members’ finances have fared while they serve in Congress was necessary. Now, you can track a rough estimate of how lawmakers have done: Are they better off since they arrived in Washington?

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running the numbers on Congressional Wealth
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Lawmakers Sorted by Average Net Worth

Lawmaker 2006 Average Net Worth
Jane Harman $409,427,000
Darrell Issa $337,440,000
John Kerry $267,790,000
Vernon Buchanan $191,696,000
Herb Kohl $171,423,000
Edward Kennedy $102,823,000
Jay Rockefeller $91,713,000
Robin Hayes $82,552,100
Dianne Feinstein $79,555,700
Frank Lautenberg $79,051,100
Rodney Frelinghuysen $49,515,600
Michael McCaul $46,648,600
Elizabeth Dole $43,867,100
Nita Lowey $39,753,200
Nancy Pelosi $38,539,600
John McCain $36,431,100
Tom Petri $35,918,000
Carolyn Maloney $34,069,500
John Campbell $32,846,000
Denny Rehberg $31,046,500
Hillary Clinton $30,691,000
Gary Miller $28,244,500
Lamar Alexander $27,800,200
F James Sensenbrenner $26,093,700
John Linder $23,746,000
Claire McCaskill $23,686,600
Gordon Smith $23,352,600
Rahm Emanuel $21,113,000
Richard Shelby $20,469,000
Steve Pearce $20,390,500
Olympia Snowe $18,963,000
David Dreier $18,496,000
Heath Shuler $18,255,900
Rosa DeLauro $16,485,500
Kenny Marchant $15,958,900
Fred Upton $15,668,100
Jeff Bingaman $15,601,600
Ben Nelson $13,383,000
Sam Brownback $13,341,000
Lloyd Doggett $13,279,500
Johnny Isakson $13,203,000
Steven Kagen $12,897,000
Wally Herger $12,230,100
Shelley Berkley $12,011,800
Jim Moran $11,966,200
Tom Price $11,642,200
Randy Neugebauer $10,715,100
Sheldon Whitehouse $9,437,520
Allen Boyd $8,056,510
Timothy Mahoney $8,036,510
Tom Harkin $7,895,040
Kay Bailey Hutchison $7,881,550
Adam Putnam $7,859,520
John Spratt $7,819,510
Evan Bayh $7,726,010
Dave Hobson $7,642,040
Dave Camp $7,389,550
James Oberstar $7,092,540
John Yarmuth $7,023,500
John Tanner $7,006,500
Terry Everett $6,937,020
Phil Gingrey $6,667,020
Jim Ramstad $6,569,510
Judd Gregg $6,446,040
Virginia Foxx $6,287,020
Pete Stark $6,231,510
Maria Cantwell $6,181,010
Trent Franks $6,175,000
John Warner $6,112,320
John Barrow $5,983,500
Michael Castle $5,945,080
Henry Brown $5,835,010
Bart Gordon $5,579,520
Charles Wilson $5,442,020
Cliff Stearns $5,439,520
Tom Latham $5,374,010
Mitch McConnell $5,364,520
Shelley Moore Capito $5,293,030
Alan Mollohan $5,174,000
Ron Wyden $5,154,010
Marion Berry $5,132,010
Jon Porter $5,101,510
James Webb $5,092,000
Robert Bennett $4,964,510
Nathan Deal $4,900,000
John Boehner $4,834,510
Charles Hagel $4,831,510
Mike Rogers $4,830,510
Jim Cooper $4,813,520
Arlen Specter $4,747,510
Bill Nelson $4,549,010
Al Green $4,366,000
Paul Kanjorski $4,364,510
Ander Crenshaw $4,311,010
Tom Carper $4,278,050
Judy Biggert $4,270,540
Ruben Hinojosa $4,258,010
Eric Cantor $4,242,580
Greg Walden $4,201,010
John Mica $4,176,010
Hal Rogers $4,133,190
Roscoe Bartlett $4,083,000
Earl Blumenauer $4,077,520
Lamar Smith $4,038,500
Virgil Goode $4,022,530
Pete Sessions $3,935,020
John Dingell $3,922,030
Chuck Grassley $3,806,530
John Ensign $3,765,500
Jack Kingston $3,712,010
Mike Conaway $3,709,060
Sander Levin $3,635,010
James Inhofe $3,630,030
Peter Welch $3,628,020
Steven Rothman $3,553,530
Tom Cole $3,500,060
Nick Rahall $3,488,340
Jo Bonner $3,486,510
Jim Costa $3,456,500
Barbara Boxer $3,415,000
Orrin Hatch $3,392,100
Harry Reid $3,340,030
Ben Cardin $3,291,930
Kenny Hulshof $3,268,520
Rick Renzi $3,224,000
Ralph Hall $3,190,500
David Davis $3,179,010
Dan Burton $3,171,010
Jim Marshall $3,028,520
David Scott $3,013,620
Bill Pascrell $2,982,040
Tom Coburn $2,935,600
Ed Whitfield $2,920,020
Thelma Drake $2,900,020
Stephen Cohen $2,896,030
Mary Bono $2,782,080
James McGovern $2,764,000
John Carter $2,750,000
Dean Heller $2,710,390
Heather Wilson $2,645,900
Loretta Sanchez $2,548,500
Melquiades Martinez $2,495,020
Ron Paul $2,457,020
Louise Slaughter $2,394,010
Jean Schmidt $2,385,510
Mary Landrieu $2,380,010
Jim Langevin $2,334,510
Timothy Johnson $2,312,520
Paul Ryan $2,291,060
Sam Farr $2,279,010
David Price $2,217,040
Nancy Boyda $2,214,400
Allyson Schwartz $2,191,520
Mazie Hirono $2,174,510
Christopher Bond $2,162,510
Ken Calvert $2,150,000
Zoe Lofgren $2,134,570
Susan Davis $2,111,030
Jeff Sessions $2,061,030
Joe Knollenberg $2,058,340
Carl Levin $2,053,460
George Voinovich $2,021,530
Maxine Waters $2,004,010
Kent Conrad $1,949,520
Tom Udall $1,928,520
Brian Baird $1,917,520
Joe Sestak $1,894,030
Dutch Ruppersberger $1,849,510
Mike Thompson $1,824,010
Chris Cannon $1,806,010
Tom Davis $1,805,520
Ron Klein $1,775,000
John Salazar $1,758,000
David Vitter $1,720,050
Charles Melancon $1,708,540
Brad Sherman $1,706,510
Pat Roberts $1,706,040
Mark Udall $1,697,550
Edwin Perlmutter $1,689,520
Carolyn McCarthy $1,668,420
Jeb Hensarling $1,662,510
Ginny Brown-Waite $1,659,030
Joe Lieberman $1,658,540
Ted Stevens $1,650,010
Howard Coble $1,645,850
Duncan Hunter $1,600,500
Doris Matsui $1,590,000
Paul Hodes $1,586,050
Solomon Ortiz $1,543,510
Mike Simpson $1,535,240
Bob Goodlatte $1,489,020
Chris Dodd $1,484,510
Michael Capuano $1,477,010
Ellen Tauscher $1,462,510
Mike Ross $1,437,510
Rush Holt $1,430,010
Anna Eshoo $1,380,510
Roger Wicker $1,376,010
Daniel Lipinski $1,358,520
Dick Durbin $1,351,180
Tammy Baldwin $1,335,510
Elton Gallegly $1,335,010
Peter Roskam $1,321,590
Harry Mitchell $1,310,510
Ralph Regula $1,292,500
Albio Sires $1,287,000
Timothy Bishop $1,283,000
Henry Waxman $1,272,510
Michael Burgess $1,253,540
Dan Boren $1,251,510
Cathy McMorris Rodgers $1,242,010
Don Manzullo $1,234,020
Zachary Space $1,226,010
Kathy Castor $1,222,020
Thad Cochran $1,208,530
Vernon Ehlers $1,182,010
Edward Markey $1,162,010
Blanche Lincoln $1,135,510
Lincoln Davis $1,125,000
Roy Blunt $1,114,510
Daniel Inouye $1,113,500
Candice Miller $1,102,980
Tom Feeney $1,101,510
Richard Burr $1,091,330
Spencer Bachus $1,064,010
Michele Bachmann $1,059,010
Barney Frank $1,050,010
Adam Schiff $1,043,010
Gresham Barrett $1,037,010
John Boozman $1,033,500
John Hall $1,015,010
G K Butterfield $1,012,590
Tim Murphy $998,532
Mark Pryor $998,002
Patrick Tiberi $983,010
Bill Shuster $972,018
Joe Pitts $969,081
Pete Domenici $968,009
Robert Brady $966,504
Doc Hastings $962,507
Jim Saxton $961,518
Melvin Watt $932,027
Richard Lugar $915,012
Howard Berman $891,020
Charles Pickering $880,004
Amy Klobuchar $860,023
John Tierney $857,508
Wayne Allard $848,004
Lindsey Graham $846,509
Mike Crapo $845,520
Xavier Becerra $838,022
Betty Sutton $836,017
Kay Granger $835,008
Bob Filner $830,511
Michael Turner $827,543
Dennis Moore $827,513
Jim McDermott $820,722
Frank Lucas $820,003
John Peterson $808,510
Bennie Thompson $800,511
Barack Obama $799,006
Daniel Akaka $791,004
Tom Tancredo $790,502
Jerry Lewis $790,004
John Olver $787,008
Steve Chabot $784,514
Robert Aderholt $781,512
John Shimkus $772,504
Jo Ann Emerson $771,008
Jon Tester $766,002
J Randy Forbes $765,982
Jim Matheson $763,513
Ed Pastor $762,506
Jon Kyl $747,316
Bob Etheridge $721,018
Linda Sanchez $717,500
Maurice Hinchey $707,004
George Miller $701,007
Robert Scott $697,548
Leonard Boswell $692,501
Jerry Weller $688,502
Charles Dent $682,026
Lynn Woolsey $681,511
Dave Weldon $677,011
Peter DeFazio $673,508
Sanford Bishop $668,006
Luis Gutierrez $657,502
Gene Green $656,004
Byron Dorgan $654,466
Patty Murray $641,510
Frank LoBiondo $641,506
Ron Kind $635,008
Mike Ferguson $634,008
Lisa Murkowski $631,021
Emanuel Cleaver $628,003
Tom Allen $626,006
Stephen Lynch $623,504
Vic Snyder $619,507
Ciro Rodriguez $616,503
William Jefferson $610,501
Joe Wilson $609,003
Mike Enzi $596,518
John Duncan $592,009
Tim Johnson $584,014
Mike Honda $578,007
Frank Wolf $576,718
Ken Salazar $573,001
Steny Hoyer $571,504
John Thune $570,012
Bruce Braley $567,509
Larry Craig $557,502
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen $556,006
Barbara Cubin $555,008
Ben Chandler $554,506
Bob Inglis $552,010
Kirsten Gillibrand $545,508
Kevin Brady $541,014
Thad McCotter $533,010
Norm Coleman $531,804
Jack Reed $522,014
Gary Ackerman $522,006
Marcy Kaptur $520,508
Charles Schumer $516,510
Diana DeGette $516,012
Gabrielle Giffords $514,513
Jerry Moran $510,510
Mike Michaud $505,011
Lucille Roybal-Allard $497,506
Mark Kirk $496,504
John Kline $486,507
Joe Courtney $482,010
Charles Boustany $481,003
Donald Payne $477,508
Joe Donnelly $473,002
Steven King $472,502
Brad Ellsworth $464,014
John Sarbanes $457,008
Sam Graves $456,360
Barbara Mikulski $450,010
Gus Bilirakis $446,510
Tim Holden $439,508
Pete Visclosky $431,004
Charles Rangel $420,008
Jim Bunning $411,002
Grace Napolitano $406,503
Don Young $406,004
Frank Pallone $400,524
Marilyn Musgrave $391,503
Adam Smith $385,507
Steve Buyer $385,004
Peter Hoekstra $383,510
John Sullivan $383,001
Bill Delahunt $383,001
Darlene Hooley $382,504
David Loebsack $382,502
Debbie Wasserman Shultz $380,504
Henry Cuellar $379,005
Jesse Jackson $374,508
Patrick McHenry $373,504
Lois Capps $373,014
James Clyburn $373,006
Jason Altmire $369,506
Raul Grijalva $366,008
Dave Reichert $361,504
Steven LaTourette $358,002
Danny Davis $357,004
Dana Rohrabacher $355,223
Jerry Costello $352,008
Stephanie Tubbs Jones $345,502
Bob Casey $338,506
John Culberson $337,501
Jeffrey Fortenberry $335,509
Jay Inslee $330,513
George Radanovich $330,504
Chris Van Hollen $321,506
Barbara Lee $321,006
Phil English $320,505
Ray LaHood $308,504
Nick Lampson $307,006
Tom Reynolds $298,504
Marsha Blackburn $298,014
Robert Menendez $291,502
Walter Jones $290,004
Mark Souder $286,508
Dennis Kucinich $286,500
Saxby Chambliss $283,502
Dale Kildee $279,504
James Jordan $272,504
David Wu $272,006
Chet Edwards $268,510
Elijah Cummings $267,500
Bernie Sanders $263,504
Rick Boucher $261,006
Sherrod Brown $255,004
Lee Terry $253,512
Ed Royce $252,507
John Cornyn $251,505
Kevin McCarthy $250,510
Susan Collins $247,502
Dan Lungren $247,006
Brian Bilbray $246,226
Rick Larsen $243,508
Chris Smith $240,002
Robert Byrd $240,002
Chris Carney $237,501
Earl Pomeroy $237,004
John Doolittle $236,010
Deborah Pryce $227,182
Russ Feingold $225,501
John Larson $223,004
Hilda Solis $223,002
Scott Garrett $221,004
Mike Doyle $217,500
Adrian Smith $205,504
Dennis Cardoza $205,502
Russ Carnahan $203,002
Sue Myrick $188,503
Vito Fossella $186,508
Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick $185,509
Chaka Fattah $185,000
Tim Walberg $182,502
John Murtha $180,504
Norm Dicks $178,504
Anthony Weiner $178,013
Sheila Jackson Lee $175,505
Todd Akin $169,010
Wayne Gilchrest $161,009
Mike Rogers $154,004
David Obey $147,504
Jim McCrery $146,508
Robert Andrews $146,504
Baron Hill $140,004
Ike Skelton $138,000
John Sununu $137,504
Patrick Leahy $129,504
Jeff Flake $124,002
Todd Tiahrt $121,008
Jeff Miller $118,506
Kendrick Meek $116,001
Patrick Kennedy $115,502
Jim Gerlach $115,502
Debbie Stabenow $115,502
Pete King $115,502
Joe Barton $113,502
Mike Pence $107,503
Richard Neal $106,503
Ron Lewis $99,007
Michael Arcuri $97,502
Betty McCollum $92,007
Devin Nunes $91,002
Jan Schakowsky $88,008
Collin Peterson $83,001
James Walsh $82,005
Joseph Crowley $81,503
Diane Watson $74,003
John Lewis $72,005
Max Baucus $66,507
Brian Higgins $66,505
Tim Ryan $66,502
Robert Cramer $65,501
Gene Taylor $65,001
John Kuhl $64,999
Howard McKeon $64,505
Todd Platts $64,505
Douglas Lamborn $58,001
Mary Fallin $57,003
Mike McIntyre $56,502
Sam Johnson $56,502
William Clay $56,502
Lincoln Diaz-Balart $56,004
Christopher Shays $49,503
Geoff Davis $48,502
Eliot Engel $44,002
John McHugh $41,004
James DeMint $40,501
Steve Israel $40,501
C W Bill Young $40,501
Silvestre Reyes $40,501
Michael McNulty $40,501
Brad Miller $36,004
Jerrold Nadler $32,503
William Sali $32,501
Charlie Gonzalez $32,501
Ric Keller $32,501
Joe Baca $24,502
Gwen Moore $24,002
Keith Ellison $18,504
Carol Shea-Porter $16,001
Rob Bishop $16,001
Jerry McNerney $16,001
Corrine Brown $15,501
Ted Poe $11,502
Melissa Bean $10,012
Zach Wamp $8,001
Neil Abercrombie $8,001
John Conyers $7,501
John Shadegg $2,502
Hank Johnson $0
Bobby Rush $0
Yvette Clarke $0
Eddie Bernice Johnson $0
Edolphus Towns $0
Gregory Meeks $0
Jose Serrano $0
Rodney Alexander $0
Albert Wynn $-4,500
Joseph Biden $-12,492
Mario Diaz-Balart $-12,500
Mac Thornberry $-16,500
Philip Hare $-32,501
Chris Murphy $-32,501
Nydia Velazquez $-47,000
Patrick Murphy $-60,499
Robert Wexler $-75,001
Stephanie Herseth $-132,001
Connie Mack $-175,000
Lynn Westmoreland $-201,500
Artur Davis $-240,002
Louis Gohmert $-250,001
Timothy Walz $-363,998
Bart Stupak $-623,497
Bob Corker $-1,840,240
Alcee Hastings $-4,732,000

All numbers are adjusted for inflation and represented in 2006 dollar values

 
 

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