Congressman Webster gives U.S. Treasury $360K check - FOX 35 News Orlando

Congressman Dan Webster, R-Winter Garden, is giving the Department of the Treasury a $360,000 check to reduce the federal deficit.

"If we're going to fix government it's going to have to start in our own house," he said.

The money comes from his $3.1 million office budget.  Each member gets the money to set up offices in Washington and their home district, pay a staff, travel back and forth to Washington and more.

Rep. Webster described one of the ways he saved money. He said each congressman gets a computer repair service at an annual charge of close to $15,000. If something breaks, they come and fix it.  Instead of using that contract, he simply decided to purchase four new Dell computers at $850 apiece.

"I canceled the service, so I don't have a service. What I do have though is 4 new computers. Two of them we will use, two of them we will have as spares, and if one breaks, instead of continually paying the $1,288 every month, we're going to hand them a new computer."

Congressman Webster said if all 435 members of Congress would be a hawk about each dollar, it would save tens of millions of dollars each year.

"If it's appropriated, the rule is spend it. I don't believe that. I believe we ought to look at it as every dollar is important."

Webster also gave back nearly $5,000 in salary this year.  Two other members of Congress in the Central Florida area tell us they have returned money as well.  Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, has returned $150,000 over the last two years. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, said he has given back $570,000 over the past four years and only accepts salary up to the same level it was when he was elected in 2008.