To provide a per diem allowance for Members of Congress for the costs of lodging, meals, and incidental expenses incurred because of travel to and from the Washington Metropolitan Area in order to cast votes in Congress, and for other purposes.

House Votes

This bill would give Members of Congress a daily allowance to help pay for lodging, meals, and small daily costs when they travel to and from the Washington, DC area to cast votes. It uses the standard federal per‑diem rates. A Member can get the lodging allowance only on days when their chamber holds votes and they vote in person on each vote. The meals allowance can also cover the day before and the day after, but only if the Member travels to or from the DC area on the vote day. Members who live in the DC metro area do not qualify. They also cannot claim this allowance for costs already paid by their existing office allowances. The DC metro area here means Washington, DC; Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax; Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia; and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland. Delegates and the Resident Commissioner are included. The House and Senate will set rules to carry this out and aim to keep the allowance from being treated as taxable income, following current practice. The policy would apply starting with the current Congress and going forward.

Key points

• Who is affected: Members of Congress, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, who do not live in the DC metro area.
• What changes: New per‑diem for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses tied to in‑person voting days; no double‑dipping with other office allowances; amounts match federal GSA rates.
• When: Begins with the current Congress and continues in future Congresses.