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Barbara Comstock (VA-10): Swamp Creature

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Barbara Comstock (VA-10): Swamp Creature Barbara Comstock (VA-10): Swamp Creature Significant Findings Comstock received more than $1 million in a taxpayer-funded salary, and if she retired today, she would receive a congressional pension worth more than $20,000. Comstock also accepted over $18,000 in privately funded travel. Comstock’s top industry contributors were lawyers, lobbyists and Wall Street. Comstock voted with Paul Ryan 90% of the time, and voted with her party 95% of the time. She voted to elect Speaker Ryan two times and accepted $27,000 from Ryan’s PAC. Comstock voted with Trump nearly 97% of the time. She voted to fund Trump’s border wall, and voted against releasing his tax returns, addressing conflicts of interest in the administration and voted repeatedly against investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Comstock was an absentee Congresswoman. In September 2017, her constituents delivered a cake to her office to mark 1,000 days of her not holding a town hall. Constituents made “missing” posters and conducted search parties to express their dissatisfaction with the congresswoman. Comstock voted for the Republican tax plan, which benefitted the wealthy and corporations, shipped jobs overseas, and would cause 13 million Americans to lose their health insurance. She voted for the Republican tax scam despite opposition from her district: Comstock’s district relied heavily on State and Local Tax deductions, and she refused to take a hard line stance against elimination of the deduction, unlike her GOP colleagues in SALT heavy districts. After the bill passed, Comstock’s constituents lined up to avoid penalties from the tax bill. Comstock voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act and voted against Medicaid Expansion in Virginia. Comstock voted ten times to defund or attack Planned Parenthood and supported overturning Roe v. Wade. She voted for a Virginia “TRAP Law” that was considered one of the most restrictive in the country for first-trimester abortions. Comstock voted against improving traffic conditions in Northern Virginia. Comstock voted for the House GOP tax bill that eliminated the employer-sponsored subsidy for commuting – transportation advocates called it a “tax hike” for commuters. In 2013, Comstock voted against the state’s transportation funding compromise, and the Sun Gazette called her vote a “disservice to her constituents.” Comstock voted against funding for federal railroad safety, and voted to block consideration of a long-term transportation bill. Comstock compared immigrants to Fed Ex packages, agreed with Trump’s decision to phase out DACA, voted to end DACA, voted to restart deportations of undocumented families and Dreamers, opposed DACA youth joining the military, and ran away from DACA advocates when they tried to talk to her. Comstock voted to prohibit prevailing wage requirements, and voted to add a Right to Work statue to the Virginia constitution twice. In 2014 and 2016, the NRA awarded Comstock an “A” rating. The NRA spent more than $137k on getting Comstock elected, making her the tenth highest recipient of NRA funding in Congress. Comstock voted to allow Internet service providers to sell customer’s personal information to advertisers without their permission. Comstock supported the Keystone XL Pipeline and supported offshore drilling. In 2017, Comstock voted for the Choice Act that gut Dodd-Frank banking reforms. Over the course of her career, Comstock accepted more than $700,000 from Wall Street. Biography Barbara Comstock is a Member of Congress representing Virginia’s 10th Congressional District and has served in that position since 2015. Graduated from Middlebury College in 1981; earned her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986 1991-1995: Served as a senior aide to Congressman Frank Wolf, who she went on to replace in Congress after his retirement 1995-1999: Investigative Counsel for Committee on Government Reform, where she was known for her dogged investigations of the Clinton Administration 2000: Led opposition research at the RNC Director of Office of Public Affairs at the Department Of Justice during the Bush Administration Worked as a lobbyist at Blank Rome, before establishing her own public relations and government affairs firm, Corallo Comstock Elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2009, served until she was elected to Congress Comstock Benefitted From The Perks Of Congress Comstock Has Received More Than $1 Million In Taxpayer Funded Salary 2015 – 2017: Comstock Received More than $500,000 As A Congressional Salary Today, Comstock receives a Congressional salary of $174,000. Over her three years in Congress, Comstock has received a total of $522,000 in taxpayer-funded salary. Year Congressional Salary 2015 $174,000 2016 $174,000 2017 $174,000 TOTAL $522,000.00 [Congressional Research Service, 6/21/16] 2010-2014: Comstock Was Paid More Than $100,000 As A Delegate Comstock Was Paid More Than $88,000 In Salary As A Delegate. Employer Date Position Salary Commonwealth of Virginia 2010 Delegate $17,640 Commonwealth of Virginia 2011 Delegate $17,640 Commonwealth of Virginia 2012 Delegate $17,640 Commonwealth of Virginia 2013 Delegate $17,640 Commonwealth of Virginia 2014 Delegate $17,640 TOTAL $88,200 [Virginia House of Delegates, accessed 3/16/14] Comstock Was Paid More Than $37,000 In Per Diem As A Delegate. Year Amount 2010 $8,235.00 2011 $7,695.00 2012 $11,050.00 2013 $7,990.00 2013 (through 1/12/14) $2,520.00 $37,490.00 [Virginia House of Delegates Clerk’s Office] 1995-1999: Comstock Was Paid More Than $454,000 As Investigative Council On The House Oversight Committee 1995-1999: Comstock Was Paid More Than $454,000 As Investigative Council On The House Oversight Committee: Name Dates Title Salary Comstock, Barbara Jean 04/10/95-6/30/95 Investigator $18,900.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 07/01/95-9/30/95 Investigator $21,000.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 10/01/95-12/31/95 Investigator $21,000.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 01/03/96-03/31/96 Investigator $21,266.67 Comstock, Barbara Jean 04/01/96-06/30/96 Investigator $21,750.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 07/01/96-09/30/96 Investigator $23,250.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 10/01/96-12/31/96 Investigator $23,250.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 01/03/97-03/31/97 Chief Investigative Counsel $22,000.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 04/01/97-06/30/97 Chief Investigative Counsel $24,666.67 Comstock, Barbara Jean 07/01/97-09/30/97 Chief Investigative Counsel $26,000.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 10/01/97-12/31/97 Chief Investigative Counsel $32,000.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 01/03/98-03/31/98 Chief Investigative Counsel $25,422.23 Comstock, Barbara Jean 04/01/98-06/30/98 Chief Investigative Counsel $28,500.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 07/01/98-09/30/98 Chief Investigative Counsel $28,500.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 10/10/98-12/31/98 Chief Investigative Counsel $33,000.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 01/03/99-03/31/99 Chief Investigative Counsel $27,866.67 Comstock, Barbara Jean 04/01/99-06/30/99 Chief Investigative Counsel $31,000.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 07/07/99-09/12/99 Chief Investigative Counsel $25,500.00 TOTAL $454,872.24 [US House of Representatives Disbursements] 1991-1995: Comstock Was Paid More Than $74,000 As A Legislative Assistant For Rep. Frank 1991-1995: Comstock Was Paid More Than $74,000 As A Legislative Assistant For Rep. Frank Wolf: Name Dates Title Salary Comstock, Barbara Jean 10/05/91-12/31/91 Senior Legislative Assistant $7,931.12 Comstock, Barbara Jean 01/01/92-03/31/92 Senior Legislative Assistant $8,750.01 Comstock, Barbara Jean 04/01/92-06/30/92 Senior Legislative Assistant $8,750.01 Comstock, Barbara Jean 07/01/92-09/30/92 Senior Legislative Assistant $8,750.01 Comstock, Barbara Jean 10/01/92-12/31/92 Senior Legislative Assistant $8,750.01 Comstock, Barbara Jean 01/01/93-03/31/93 Senior Legislative Assistant $9,500.01 Comstock, Barbara Jean 04/01/93-06/30/93 Senior Legislative Assistant $9,500.01 Comstock, Barbara Jean 07/01/93-09/30/93 Senior Legislative Assistant $9,500.01 Comstock, Barbara Jean 10/01/93-12/31/93 Senior Legislative Assistant $1,055.56 Comstock, Barbara Jean 10/01/93-12/31/93 Part-Time Employee $266.67 Comstock, Barbara Jean 01/01/94-03/31/94 Part-Time Employee $300.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 04/01/94-06/30/94 Part-Time Employee $300.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 07/01/94-09/30/94 Part-Time Employee $300.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 10/01/94-12/31/94 Part-Time Employee $300.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 01/01/95-03/31/95 Part-Time Employee $300.00 Comstock, Barbara Jean 04/01/95-04/09/95 Part-Time Employee $30.00 TOTAL $74,283.42 [US House of Representatives Disbursements] Comstock Would Receive Approximately $21,000 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] Including her service as a Congressional aide and a Member of Congress, Comstock has more than 5 years of service in the federal government.
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