When elected to serve in Congress, delegation members have to walk a tightrope of being in district vs. in D.C. Photo from Getty Images.

By Casey Smith
Indiana Capital Chronicle

INDIANA — From Indiana to Washington, D.C., and back to Hoosierdom again, members of Indiana’s congressional delegation split time between their districts and the nation’s capital — more than 500 miles each time.

Hoosier representatives and senators all maintain homes in Indiana, and some additionally rent or own separate houses or apartments in D.C. Several of those with dual residences told the Indiana Capital Chronicle they chose to do so for their family’s sake, as well as to cut down on travel time and costs that mount up quickly from circling back and forth between cities.

It’s a common practice in Congress.

Many elected officials have famously shared apartments and houses. And for some members of Congress, an office on Capitol Hill becomes a home of sorts, doubling as an apartment while they live and work in D.C.

Opinions among constituents have long varied, with some arguing that representatives should set up bases in D.C. to focus on legislative work.

Others yearn for more face time with elected officials, even lodging criticisms on social media at members like Third District Rep. Jim Banks — who notably owns a second house not far from the U.S. Capitol.

The Republican congressman maintained that his D.C.-area home — while valued at about $1 million — is modest for the capital region, where average house prices currently exceed $800,000.

The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reported in 2018 that Banks and his wife bought the home after he spent much of his first year sleeping on an air mattress in his office.

“It has been an honor for me and my family to serve northeast Indiana in Congress for the last eight years,” Banks, who’s now running for Indiana’s open U.S. Senate seat, told the Indiana Capital Chronicle. “With three young daughters, my wife and I have done everything we can to put our family first and have maintained our home in Columbia City, as well as a house in Washington, D.C., so my family can go back and forth with me as much as possible. I will never apologize for that.”

Candidates with D.C.-area addresses – including Richard Lugar in 2012 and Evan Bayh in 2016 — have lost races after being portrayed as out-of-touch with Hoosier voters.

Homes Away From Home

During the 20th century, members of Congress spent more time living in the city where they worked, according to the non-partisan Congressional Management Foundation, which works with members and their staffs to improve the way congressional offices operate.

It was after 1994, however, that former GOP Rep. Newt Gingrich condensed Congress’ work week from five days into three, allowing members to spend more time — and raise more dollars — in their districts.

U.S. representatives and senators are required to have a residence in their home states — but there are no formal requirements around accommodations in the nation’s capital.

Even so, most members maintain a residence in D.C. for the sake of convenience.

Each member of Congress maintains at least two offices: one in D.C., and another — if not more — back home in the district or state.

While those offices are typically hundreds or thousands of miles and one or more time zones apart, the outposts are meant to serve constituents, keeping them connected to their elected representatives.

Roughly 40% of a member’s personal office staffers are located in district and state offices, and most senators and representatives spend more than 40 weekends a year back home, per data reported by the Congressional Management Foundation.

Stipends can help, but they aren’t always enough.

Since 2009, congressional members have received an annual $174,000 salary. Cost of living in D.C. — frequently listed among the top 10 most expensive U.S. cities — can chip away at that quickly. But travel to and from Indiana can add up, too, when considering the cost of transportation and flights.

Previous reports have further estimated that dozens of members of Congress — mostly Republicans — lived in their offices while in D.C. as of 2018. Among them have been the likes of former House Speakers Rep. Paul Ryan and Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

A rule change proposed last year by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives sought to increase members’ yearly compensation, but the effort was ultimately unsuccessful.

The provision would have allowed reimbursement for a number of living expenses, including lodging, food and travel in D.C.

A congressional report justified the compensation change, noting that “unlike their counterparts in the executive branch and private sector, members do not receive a per diem or reimbursement for their out-of-pocket living expenses when they are at work in Washington.” The report conceded that $174,000 is far higher than the average American income, but emphasized that many members have to maintain homes in both D.C. and their local districts.

Among Indiana’s congressional members with D.C.-area apartments is Democratic Rep. Andre Carson, who represents Indiana’s Seventh District. Financial disclosure reports show Carson owns a home in Indiana and another property, valued between $250,000 and $500,000, in D.C.

Separate from his house in Evansville, Eighth District Rep. Larry Bucshon, a Republican, stays at a rental unit he owns in D.C., per disclosure documents. His office did not confirm whether Bucshon or anyone else currently takes up residence in the apartment.

GOP Sen. Todd Young additionally juggles his family’s home in Johnson County with an apartment he rents while staying in D.C.

Young said he travels to the Capitol when the Senate is in session, typically Monday through Thursday.

Committed To Commuting

When the U.S. Senate is in session, Sen. Mike Braun told the Capital Chronicle he “goes back to Indiana right after the last vote, usually straight from the Senate floor to the airport,” and then returns back for votes on Monday or Tuesday, depending on when the “get-back” vote is scheduled.

The Republican is stepping down from his senate post and is currently vying for Indiana’s governorship in the November election.

Specifically, Braun said he bunked at the Best Western Springfield — a short drive from the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport — until he recently started subletting an apartment for session nights earlier this summer.

In the last six years, Braun has “probably stayed in Washington for six weekends — for impeachments, government spending showdowns, reconciliation vote-a-ramas, etc.,” his office said. He often meets with constituents in his hometown on Fridays and spends the weekends with his wife and family.

It’s a similar decision made by Second District Rep. Rudy Yakym, who said he does not own or rent any properties in the D.C. area.