House Staffers Will Soon Be Getting Memberships for Luxury Workout Equipment, at Monumental Expense to Taxpayers

It is no secret that Congress is not the best at spending your tax dollars. As Ronald Reagan used to say “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” You can apply the substance of that quip to any of the branches of government — especially the legislative branch.

The House of Representatives is preeminently inconsiderate when spending your hard-earned cash. And that should scare you. This is, after all, cash that you give the government in the trust that they will spend it in the best interest of the American people. But time after time, the government has proven itself incompetent at meeting our national goals. Why would anyone want to give these politicians more power?

That is why the Tea Party movement was so compelling to the masses. Remember the major red wave election in 2010? That was the Tea Party’s doing. But politicians on both sides of the aisle have forgotten the virtues of small government. Even Bill Clinton said that the “era of big government is over” in 1996. But the era of big government is back. And according to today’s story, President Joe Biden is not the only one to blame.

Peloton is a stationary bike company that streams on-demand classes. And their services are quite expensive. It would typically cost $39 a month for an all-access membership and $12.99 a month for the Peloton App membership. But as Politico reports, that hurdle was not insurmountable for the House Center For Well-Being. This might sound unthinkable, but it is true: the House of Representatives is prepared to spend over $100,000 of our taxpayer dollars per month for employees to get access to Peloton’s services.

As to the employees who qualify for the benefit, Fox News reports:

“The House of Representatives is planning to announce they will give staffers in Washington, D.C., and in district offices, free Peloton memberships using taxpayer dollars each month amid skyrocketing inflation…

Beginning May 18, the government contract with fitness giant Peloton, under efforts from the House Center for Well-Being, will be offered to the estimated 10,000 people on staff working for the House of Representatives and about 2,300 Capitol Police officers.”

If that news upsets you, that’s because it should. And it gets worse: the costs will add up — BIGLY:

“A source familiar with the matter told FOX Business that the contract cost is a $10,000 upfront payment to Peloton, plus an extra $10 per month charge for each staffer or officer that utilizes the benefit. If 12,000 staffers took advantage of the benefit, it would cost taxpayers $120,000 a month.”

Whether all take advantage of the benefit, that much remains to be seen. As the New York Post remarks, “It is not uncommon for companies or businesses to provide employees with various wellness benefits”. But it is hard to justify the exceptionally high cost of this monumental spending spree. That’s the problem — the cost and the spirit of the spending.

Your taxpayer dollars should be put to work for you. We must demand accountability, and more importantly, we should vote for people who do not spend our money unwisely, 2022 and 2024 could be the year of the enlightened taxpayer, that is, if they rise and vote in the best interest of them and their family.