Many Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities under the Biden administration. Meanwhile, members of the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives are spending unnecessary money on their staffers.
Sure, elected officials are supposed to represent their constituents, so one would think congressmen would be concerned that Americans cannot afford gas or find baby formula. But it appears the House of Representatives has other priorities.
According to FOX Business, the House is planning to announce free Peleton fitness memberships for staffers.
To make matters worse, the memberships will be paid for on the taxpayers’ dime.
FOX said it first obtained the information in a draft email from the office of the Chief Administrative Officer. The free memberships are considered the “premier employee benefit,” and they will also be offered to Capitol Police.
The contract is set to begin on May 18. Staffers will be offered both a Peloton All-Access and a Peleton App membership at no cost to them. The deal is being championed by the House Center for Well-Being.
Approximately 10,000 staffers working for the House will be offered the benefits, along with about 2,300 Capitol Police officers, FOX reported.
“The email sent from the office of the CAO told the staffers and officers they would ‘have access to thousands of live and on-demand classes, across multiple disciplines, that are available for streaming across multiple devices and require no purchase of Peloton equipment,’” according to FOX.
For an average American, a Peloton All-Access Membership costs $39 a month. A Peloton App Membership costs $12.99 a month.
Does the government care about everyday Americans?
Under the government’s contract with Peleton, the memberships will not cost nearly as much, but the monthly cost to taxpayers could be six figures.
An insider source told FOX the House will pay $10,000 to Peleton upfront for the contract, but the bulk of the money will come on a monthly basis. The House will owe Peleton $10 a month for every person who takes advantage of the benefit.
If 10,000 of the approximately 12,300 eligible staffers took the membership, it would cost taxpayers $100,000 a month. If every eligible staffer took the benefits, the cost to taxpayers would be over $120,000 every month.
Peloton said in a statement to Fox it “can confirm that the US House of Representatives is extending Peloton Corporate Wellness to all House staff and Capitol police.”
This news comes at the same time many Americans are struggling to find baby formula. On May 11, CNN reported the out-of-stock rate for baby formula in America has reached 40 percent. For comparison, the rate sat between 2 percent and 8 percent during the first half of 2021.
In addition, gas prices continue to rise to unprecedented levels across the country. The nationwide average price per gallon of gas was $4.43 on Friday, the highest recorded average in history, according to AAA.
Many Americans criticized the House for providing non-essential benefits to staffers as everyday Americans face these issues.
“Moms can’t find baby formula, the middle class is being priced out of homes, and gas is through the roof,” one Twitter user wrote. “Meanwhile in Democrat-controlled Congress…”
Moms can’t find baby formula, the middle class is being priced out of homes, and gas is through the roof. Meanwhile in Democrat-controlled Congress… https://t.co/6hQ4vXcbp1
— Liz George (@LizGeorgeWrites) May 13, 2022
“If you had any question as to whether or not the government believes it’s better than you, then I submit this,” another user wrote alongside a link to FOX’s story about the free memberships.
If you had any question as to whether or not the government believes it’s better than you, then I submit this https://t.co/ntV3hknjtZ
— Kitty the Gargoyle (@gerlach1025) May 13, 2022
It’s one thing to treat your employees well, but it’s another to provide unnecessary benefits at someone else’s expense. Before charging taxpayers for other people’s Peleton memberships, the House ought to at least address the multiple crises facing the country.
