U.S. Rep. Rod Blum spent more on mailings, communications than all House peers

U.S. Rep Rod Blum, a Dubuque Republican in his first term leading Iowa's Democratic-leaning 1st District, spent more money on mass mailings and mass communications in 2015 than any other U.S. representative and $400,000 more than Iowa's three other delegates combined.

Mailings, newspaper advertisements and social media posts remind constituents of who represents them in Washington, D.C., political scientists said. But after a caucus season in which Iowans were bombarded with unsolicited political mail, some think Blum's mailings are missing their mark.

'If I received them, I threw them away,” said Chuck Swore, 73, of Cedar Rapids. 'From a voter's position, I think they're, in most cases, a waste of time and money.”

Blum sees it differently.

'Congressman Blum is proud to be so committed to communicating directly with his constituents,” Keegan Conway, Blum's communications director, emailed The Gazette.

'Instead of spending excessive money on first class airfare, personal car leases, and a bloated Washington, D.C., staff like many career politicians do, Congressman Blum believes that devoting a significant portion of his budget to constituent communication is the responsible thing to do.”

Congress members have wide discretion in how to spend their Members Representational Allowance. Blum last year spent about a third of his allocation on mass mailings and communications, while Iowa's other representatives put a higher priority on personnel.

Top Mailer

Blum spent more than $330,000 in 2015 on mass mailings, defined as unsolicited communications to 500-plus constituents, and another $92,000 on mass communications, which can include commercials, newspaper ads or automated phone calls. This is according to a Gazette analysis of the quarterly Statement of Disbursements of the House reports.

Blum's total $425,365 was the highest of all 446 U.S. representatives who served some part of 2015, with the runner-up being Democrat Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico's sole member of Congress, who spent $304,310 on mass mailings and mass communications in 2015.

Iowa's three other representatives also spent far less. Steve King, R-Kiron, and Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa City, spent nothing on mass mailings and communications last year. David Young, R-Van Meter, spent $17,714.

'If you're in a safer seat, you don't need to do that,” said Tim Hagle, a University of Iowa associate political science professor. 'For Blum, he's in one of the targeted districts for Democrats to try to pick off.”

The Cook Political Report, a national nonpartisan newsletter that measures the competitiveness of districts, calls Iowa's 1st District a toss up, one of only 18 GOP and four Democratic seats in the nation given that designation. Cook gave the 1st District, which includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Dubuque, a score of D+5, which means in the previous two presidential elections, it performed an average of 5 points more Democratic.

Iowa's 2nd District, which Loebsack has represented for nine years, is listed a 'solid D” for Democrats, while the 4th District, which King has held since 2003, is 'solid R” for Republicans, Cook reports. Iowa's 3rd District, which Young claimed in 2014, leans Republican, but Cook also views it as a toss up.

Mail vs. Staff

U.S. senators and representatives are allowed to send non-campaign mail under the franking privilege, which lets their signature count as postage. But the cost of mass mailings and other communications is deducted from the Members' Representational Allowance, the size of which is dictated by distance between a member's home district and Washington, D.C., and the number of constituent addresses.

Blum's mass mailings and mass communications were one-third of his $1.265 million allowance in 2015.

Loebsack, on the other hand, spent more than $1 million of his $1.262 million allowance last year on personnel.

'Congressman Loebsack places a high priority on meeting with folks in person to have a face-to-face discussion,” said Joe Hand, Loebsack's communications director. 'Dave has 16 (employees) to make sure Iowans can always be in touch with him, or directly with someone in his office.”

Congressional staff can help constituents with thorny issues that include federal disability filings, tax problems or passport woes. King spent just under $900,000 on personnel compensation in 2015, Young $760,000 and Blum $535,000.

It's harder to compare U.S. House members with U.S. senators, who receive larger allowances because of having a statewide constituency.

Iowa's two senators were each allowed to spend up to $3.05 million last year.

Campaign purpose

Congressional mailings using franked postage can't be used to solicit votes or contributions. There's also a 90-day pre-election blackout period. But there's no doubt congressional mailings serve a campaign purpose, political scientists said.

'It keeps the name recognition there,” said Chris Larimer, a University of Northern Iowa associate political science professor. However, 'there's not a lot of research to support mailers as a reason to get out to vote.”

Blum sent at least two mailings in March. One was a tri-fold brochure, entitled 'Keeping America Safe,” touting Blum's work in Congress. The other was a postcard inviting constituents to a job fair at the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids.

Laurie Luker, 53, of Mount Vernon, spotted that postcard in her mailbox and went to last Tuesday's job fair.

'I wouldn't have known about it otherwise,” she said.

Luker, who worked at Pearson for nearly 25 years, wants a new job working with people. She talked with several of the 44 employers at the job fair and was impressed with Hy-Vee.

Blum, who also attended the job fair, met with groups of people in Iowa at least 90 times his first year in office, according to a Gazette review of his Twitter feed and news releases.

John McGlothlen of The Gazette contributed to this report.