Despite pressure to reduce national debt, few in Congress use payback program

By David A. Fahrenthold
March 24, 6:21 PM

It sounds like the perfect political gesture for the moment. Congress is getting ready for an epic fight over the national debt, and House rules allow members to give back a portion of their salaries for debt reduction.

Two of them do.

Sometimes, up to three.

Last fall — as the issue of spending helped Republicans storm back to power in the House — exactly one sitting Republican and one Democrat chose to dock their pay for the cause.

Together, they donated $2,610.39 that quarter.

That’s how much the debt grows every five hundredths of a second. The government burned through their gift in three beats of a hummingbird’s wing.

The story of this little-used payback program says something about the fight Congress is beginning. The debt is so huge, and the fight so joyless, that even congressmen — the masters of the empty but attractive gesture — appear to see little use in this one.

“Even if all members of Congress returned their full salaries in order to pay off the debt,â€