Buried inside the budget deal brokered by Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid: a payout to the millionaire widow of the late Democratic senator Frank Lautenberg.
The Daily Caller obtained a copy of the draft legislation agreed to by the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate.
The agreement would re-open the government and raise the debt limit.
It also authorizes this expenditure: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this joint resolution, there is appropriated for payment to Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, widow of Frank R. Lautenberg, late a Senator from New Jersey, $174,000.”
The 89-year-old New Jersey Democrat died this summer.
USA Today reported last month that the proposed one-time payment to Bonnie Englebardt is equivalent to a full year’s salary for a senator. It’s a long tradition of Congress to make such expenditures to widows.
But is this expenditure necessary? The paper reported that not only was Lautenberg’s networth $56.8 million last year, his widow was unaware of the expenditure.
More at The Daily Caller
Liberals tell us that children in this country go to bed hungry and they still do something this stupid….
Does anyone recall the accounting of Lincoln being told by a constituent that he could not vote again for Lincoln, despite Lincoln’s good reputation, since Abe supported payouts to a particular widow. Lincoln saw the light and changed his vote and urged his fellow politicians to instead donate from their own pockets if it was that important. I have not been able to locate a link.