Schock controversy sparks House expenses review

The House Administration Committee announced Friday that it will conduct a review of current House regulations for official lawmaker expenses.

News of the review comes in light of the scandal surrounding Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.), who is resigning at the end of this month for alleged excessive spending of taxpayer dollars.

Schock’s spending habits included decorating his Capitol Hill office in the style of the PBS show “Downton Abbey” and getting reimbursed for 170,000 miles on his personal car that only had 80,000 miles on it when sold in 2014.

{mosads}”Each member of this House takes an oath of office and promises to be the caretaker and champion for their congressional seat. This is an immense and sacred responsibility that should be considered in a bipartisan way and it will be,” House Administration Committee Chairwoman Candice Miller (R-Mich.) said in a statement. 

Reps. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) will oversee the review to verify that rules for lawmaker spending of federal dollars are straightforward.

“The rules and regulations that govern our conduct, including the manner in which we serve as stewards of taxpayer resources, are not only designed to reinforce that trust, they also serve to ensure the integrity of this institution,” Lofgren said.

Miller previously called Schock’s spending habits an “anomaly,” arguing that most members fully understand how to comply with House rules governing members’ use of federal dollars.

And earlier this month, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) appeared disinclined to establish more ethics requirements.

“If somebody’s going to violate the rules, you know, they’re going to violate the rules. And in almost every case, sooner or later, it catches up with you,” Boehner said at a Capitol press conference.

Schock will officially step down next Tuesday, March 31. He delivered a heartfelt farewell address on the House floor Thursday, expressing “humility and sadness” — before comparing himself to President Abraham Lincoln.

Schock also violated two House floor rules on his way out by participating in a group photo and bringing a hot drink into the chamber. Photography, as well as eating or drinking, is prohibited on the House floor.