WASHINGTON — The latest personal finance documents filed by U.S. House members were released last week, and the reports show that Democratic 2nd District Rep. Mike Michaud has relatively modest outside income and assets when compared to many of his D.C. colleagues.

A report for Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, was not yet available, however.

Members of Congress are required to disclose their private earnings and investments every year for themselves and their spouses. But the vagueness of the reports — with lawmakers listing income or investments in broad ranges — makes it impossible to gauge their true net worth.

Michaud, who is also mulling a run for governor on the Democratic ticket, reported income of between roughly $28,000 and $86,000 last year on top of the base $174,000 salary paid to all members of Congress who do not hold leadership positions. His only “earned income” was $2,232 from his pension with the International Association of Machinists. Most of the rest of Michaud’s income came from rent on properties he owns in Millinocket.

He also reported assets — including real estate and investments funds — in the range of $243,000 to $772,000.

In 2011, House members reported an “average wealth” — calculated with the minimum and maximum asset values — of $6.5 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit that tracks money in politics.

Advertisement

Pingree requested and was granted an extension that allows her to delay filing financial disclosure reports until August. But last year’s reports showed that Pingree and her husband had a net worth of at least $32 million.

The vast majority of that sum is from her husband, S. Donald Sussman, a wealthy hedge fund manager. Sussman is also majority share owner of MaineToday Media, publisher of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.

Maine’s two U.S. senators filed their disclosure forms earlier this spring. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and his wife reported total assets of between $5 million and $26 million while Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and her husband reported assets of somewhere between $600,000 and $3.8 million.

Immigration

Senate leaders are still hoping to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill this week, especially after Democratic and Republican negotiators worked out a compromise to beef up border security.

During a floor speech, Sen. Angus King made clear his support for creating a “pathway to citizenship” for new immigrants by pointing out that three of his predecessors from Maine — Sens. Edmund Muskie, George Mitchell and Olympia Snowe — were all sons or daughters of immigrants.

Advertisement

Sen. Susan Collins has yet to say how she will vote on the bill, which was still changing as of Friday. But she has said she supports comprehensive immigration reform.

Both King and Collins have proposed amendments to the bill that will be considered this week.

A winning recipe

A Waterville youth landed a trip to the White House later this summer thanks to his culinary skills.

Noah Koch, who is 9, won the Maine slot in first lady Michelle Obama’s Healthy Lunchtime Challenge competition for his recipe Vegan Powerhouse Pesto Pasta, according to the White House. He and 53 other winners earned an invitation to a “State Dinner” (although it’s really a lunch) with the first lady at the White House in July.

No word yet on whether Koch’s pesto pasta will be among the recipes served up at lunch.

Advertisement

Spud update

Speaking of eating your vegetables, last week I reported on delegation members’ attempts to get fresh potatoes back on the menu of a federal food assistance program.

After an unsuccessful attempt to amend the Senate farm bill, Maine Sen. Susan Collins this past week managed to insert language in a Senate agriculture budget bill that would recommend federal officials include fresh, white potatoes in the list of approved vegetables under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, also known as WIC.

A House version of the agriculture appropriations bill would specifically reinstate white potatoes in WIC. That language was co-sponsored by Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree.

WIC provides grants to states to provide more nutritious foods to low-income mothers and children. Fresh potatoes have been excluded from WIC since 2009.

Kevin Miller — 317-6256
kmiller@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @KevinMillerDC


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.