Mirror, Mirror On The Wall: Who’s The Wealthiest Of Them All?

uscapitolmoneyJerry Bohnen
Contributing Editor
The Center for Responsive Politics reports the median wealth of the 94 new U. S. senators and congressmen is nearly a million dollars more than the $66,740 net worth of the typical American household. And newly-elected 2nd District Congressman Markwayne Mullin, R-Westville, is among them.
The Center’s website, OpenSecrets.org, reviewed the personal financial disclosure forms filed by all members of Congress and says Mullin listed his net worth at between $1.1 million and $2,693,000. He listed no liabilities. His net worth ranks him 146th wealthiest in the U.S. House.
Oklahoma’s other new House member, James Bridenstine, R-Tulsa, lists his net worth from minus $138,994 to plus $214,999. He’s ranked 386th in the House. His net worth dips into the negative column because Bridenstine lists liabilities of nearly $250,000.

Why was it important for the Center to examine the reports?

“While America continues to claw its way back to economic stability, voters have nevertheless chosen to elect new members of Congress who have already made it big,” said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center.

She was quoted in an email news release made by the Center. The Center noted that while the freshmen members of Congress are significantly wealthier than most Americans, they are on par with their colleagues in Congress where all 535 members have a median estimated net worth of about $966,000.

The Center says data shows Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) is the richest with an average estimated wealth of $500.1 million, mostly because he is married to the daughter of Clear Channel Communications Chairman Lowry Mays. California Republican Darrell Issa had been the wealthiest but McCaul surpassed the $480.3 million in wealth reported by Issa.

Others in the Oklahoma congressional delegation include Senator Jim Inhofe whose wealth is listed at nearly $17.4 million, ranking him 21st wealthiest in the Senate; Tom Coburn who has wealth ranging from $1.8 million to $5.5 million and is ranked 36th in the Senate; Congressman Tom Cole who is ranked 83rd in the House with an estimated wealth of $5.3 million; Frank Lucas who lists his wealth at slightly more than $1 million and is ranked 294th in the House; and James Lankford whose wealth is estimated at $315,000. He is ranked 345th in the House.

While Democratic party leaders like to point to the GOP as being the party of the rich, Democrats in the House and Senate tend to be wealthier than their Republican counterparts. The median wealth of Democrats in Congress is $990,508 while the median for Republicans is $907,014.


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  1. Norma, 17 January, 2013

    People who have that much wealth absolutely cannot conceptualize what it is like for most Oklahoman’s.

  2. C E Daniels, 17 January, 2013

    Markwayne Mullen started off with practically nothing [less than nothing when you consider that the plumbing company he got was half a million in the hole] and through hard work built it up. He is a self-made man. I think he has a very good idea what it’s like for most Oklahomans.

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