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Mark Meadows (NC-11): Swamp Creature

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Mark Meadows (NC-11): Swamp Creature MARK MEADOWS (NC-11) Swamp Creature | 1 Mark Meadows (NC-11): Swamp Creature Significant Findings Meadows owned up to $6 million in real estate assets that could benefit from the Republican tax bill Meadows received $85,039 in privately-funded travel, including lavish trips to Oslo and Berlin Meadows worked to push the Republican health care repeal bill further to the right, making it even worse for North Carolina families Meadows consistently voted with the Republican establishment and 94% of the time with Paul Ryan Biography Mark Meadows is a Member of Congress representing North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District and has served in that position since 2013. Born July 1959 in Maginot Army Barracks in Verdun France Education: University of Southern Florida, A.A. (1980) Professional: sandwich shop owner, real estate agent, real estate development Was Macon County Republican Party chairman from 2001 to 2002 Meadows Benefitted From The Perks Of Congress Meadows Has Received $870,000 In Taxpayer Funded Salary Over his five years in Congress, Meadows has received a total of $870,000 in taxpayer-funded salary. Year Congressional Salary 2013 $174,000 2014 $174,000 2015 $174,000 2016 $174,000 2017 $174,000 TOTAL $870,000 [Congressional Research Service, 6/21/16] Meadows Voted To Raise His Own Pay MARK MEADOWS (NC-11) Swamp Creature | 2 2013: Meadows Voted Against Continuing Appropriations That Blocked COLA For Members. In May 2014, Meadows voted against: “Passage of the bill that would provide $3.3 billion for legislative branch operations, excluding Senate operations, in fiscal 2015. The total would include $1.2 billion for House operations, $595 million for the Library of Congress, $519.6 million for the Government Accountability Office, $488.6 million for the Architect of the Capitol and $348 million for the Capitol Police.” According to the Congressional Research Service, “The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 (P.L. 113-46, Section 146, enacted October 17, 2013), prohibited the scheduled 2014 pay adjustment for Members of Congress.” A vote yes was a vote to block pay increases. The bill passed 285-144. [CRS, 6/21/16; CQ, 10/16/13; HR2775, Vote #550, 10/16/13] NOTE: When using this research, keep in mind that Meadows has also voted on various occasions against raising his own pay. Meadows Would Receive $17,748 Per Year In Taxpayer Funded Pension According to the Office of Personnel Management, a “Member of Congress or Congressional Employee (or any combination of the two) must have at least 5 years of service as a Member of Congress and/or Congressional Employee” to qualify for their retirement annuity. The annual pension is calculated as “1.7% of your high-3 average salary multiplied by your years of service as a Member of Congress or Congressional Employee which do not exceed 20, PLUS 1% of your high-3 average salary multiplied by your years of other service.” [Office of Personnel Management, accessed 7/18/17] For Members who joined after 1991, the annual pension is calculated as: [The Atlantic, 10/2/15; Congressional Research Service, 11/10/16] For any current Member eligible for their pension, their High-3 would be $174,000, making the formula: [$174,000 x .017 x Years of Service (Max 20)] + [$174,0000 x .01 x (Years of Service Over 20)] = Annual Pension Given Meadows’ three terms served, at the end of his current term, he would receive $$17,748 in annual taxpayer-funded pension. Meadows Voted To Undermine The Office Of Congressional Ethics 2016: Meadows Voted For Cutting More Than $190,000 From The Office Of Congressional Ethics Meadows Voted For Cutting More Than $190,000 From The Office Of Congressional Ethics. In June 2016, Meadows voted for an amendment to the Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act (HR 5325) that would “reduce funding for the Office of Congressional Ethics by $190,970, to the fiscal 2016 level, and transfer the same amount to the spending reduction account.” The amendment failed 137-270. [HR 5325, Vote #292, 6/10/16; CQ Floor Votes, 6/10/16] 2015: Meadows Voted For Limiting The Power Of The OCE And House Ethics In Investigating Members 2015: Meadows Voted For Limiting Power Of OCE And House Ethics In Investigating Members. In January 2015, Meadows voted for a House Rules package that contained a rules change that would help members under MARK MEADOWS (NC-11) Swamp Creature | 3 ethics investigations by the Office of Congressional Ethics and House Ethics Committee. “In one of its first actions of the new year, the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved rules changes that could give lawmakers a new defense against ethics investigations. The new language, added Monday night to the sections that establish the House Ethics Committee and the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, says the two bodies ‘may not take any action that would deny any person any right or protection provided under the Constitution of the United States.’ The language also states that a person subject to a review by the Office of Congressional Ethics ‘shall be informed of the right to be represented by counsel and invoking that right should not be held negatively against them.’ … ‘Clearly (the new language) was put in there to allow members of Congress to restrain certain activities of the ethics committees based on their own interpretation of what the Constitution means,’ said Craig Holman of the watchdog group Public Citizen.” The resolution passed, 234-172. [H Res 5, Vote #6, 1/6/15; USA Today, 1/6/15] Meadows Voted For Limiting Power Of OCE And House Ethics In Investigating Members. In January 2015, Meadows voted for a House Rules package that contained a rules change that would help members under ethics investigations by the Office of Congressional Ethics and House Ethics Committee. “In one of its first actions of the new year, the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved rules changes that could give lawmakers a new defense against ethics investigations. The new language, added Monday night to the sections that establish the House Ethics Committee and the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, says the two bodies ‘may not take any action that would deny any person any right or protection provided under the Constitution of the United States.’ The language also states that a person subject to a review by the Office of Congressional Ethics ‘shall be informed of the right to be represented by counsel and invoking that right should not be held negatively against them.’ … ‘Clearly (the new language) was put in there to allow members of Congress to restrain certain activities of the ethics committees based on their own interpretation of what the Constitution means,’ said Craig Holman of the watchdog group Public Citizen.” The resolution passed, 234-172. [H Res 5, Vote #6, 1/6/15; USA Today, 1/6/15] Meadows Received $85,039 In Privately-Funded Travel Meadows Received $85,039 In Privately-Funded Travel. As of April 2018, Meadows had gone on 13 privately funded trips, receiving a total of $85,039 in travel. [Political Moneyline, accessed 4/13/18] Meadows Privately-Funded Travel Dates Sponsor(s) Location(s) Total Amount 8/9 - 8/14/17 Aspen Institute Oslo, Norway $14,683 5/29 - 6/4/17 Aspen Institute Berlin, Germany $17,394 3/17 - 3/20/17 Club for Growth Palm Beach, FL $2,100 2/8 - 2/1017 Heritage Foundation New York, NY $1,089 12/2 - 12/3/16 Heritage Foundation Charlottesville, VA $1,763 11/17 - 11/18/16 Heritage Action for America San Antonio, TX $1,310 4/7 - 4/10/16 Heritage Foundation Amelia Island, FL $4,377 1/27 - 1/29/16 Heritage Foundation Middleburg, VA $960 10/12 - 10/19/15 Proclaiming Justice to the Nations Jerusalem, Israel $15,831 1/28 - 1/30/15 Heritage Foundation Middleburg, VA $1,469 2/15 - 2/23/14 American Israel Education Foundation Jerusalem, Israel $21,932 6/23 - 6/24/13 Humpty Dumpty Institute New York, NY $516 2/6 - 2/8/13 Heritage Foundation Baltimore, MD $1,615 Total: $85,039 [Political Moneyline, accessed 4/13/18] Meadows Consistently Voted With The Republican Establishment MARK MEADOWS (NC-11) Swamp Creature | 4 Meadows Has Voted With His Party 97% Of The Time Meadows Has Voted With The Republican Party 97% Of The Time. According to CQ in 2017, Meadows has voted with other members of the Republican Caucus 97% of the time. [CQ Vote Studies, accessed 4/13/18] Party Unity Year Support Oppose 2017 98% 2% 2016 98% 2% 2015 97% 3% 2014 97% 3% 2013 96% 4% Lifetime Average 97% 3% [CQ Vote Study, accessed 4/13/18] Meadows Voted With Paul Ryan 94% Of The Time Meadows Voted With Ryan 94% Of The Time. According to ProPublica, over his career, Meadows had voted with Speaker Ryan 94% of the time. [ProPublica, accessed 4/13/18] Vote Comparison Congress Total Votes Votes Disagreeing Percent Agreement 115th 21 7 67% 114th 571 39 93% 113th 1172 64 95% Lifetime Average 1764 110 94% [ProPublica, accessed 4/13/18] Voted To Elect Paul Ryan Speaker Of The House 2017: Voted To Make Rep. Paul Ryan Speaker Of The House. In January 2017, Meadows voted for Paul Ryan to be Speaker of the House. Ryan was elected by a vote of 239-189. [Election to the Speaker, Vote #2, 1/3/17; CQ, 1/3/17] 2015: Voted To Make Rep. paul Ryan Speaker Of The House. In October 2015, Meadows voted for Paul Ryan to be Speaker of the House.
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