Receipts · Every claim, every source

Don't take our word for it.

Every statistic, every comparison, every dollar figure on this site has a primary source. They are listed below. If you find an error, tell us and we'll fix it.

[ 01 ]

19% of all federal campaign contributions in 2024 came from just 300 individuals and their families.

The New York Times, March 2026 — analysis of Federal Election Commission filings covering the full 2024 election cycle. Aggregates direct contributions plus PAC and super-PAC giving traceable to each household.
→ nytimes.com (March 2026 analysis)

Home hero · Big-stat · Donors · Letter · Bill

[ 02 ]

~$4 per taxpayer per year — the cost of all elected-federal salaries under the new schedule.

Derived: $640 million total annual cost (535 Members of Congress + President at $1M / $2M / $5M) divided across roughly 165 million income-tax filers. For an individual earning $80,000 annually the per-capita share works out to ~$3.88/year (≈ 32¢/month).
→ Federal budget context: cbo.gov

Home hero · Letter · Plan card

[ 03 ]

46 days — total federal government shutdown duration in fiscal year 2026.

Cumulative count of calendar days in lapse-of-appropriations status during FY 2026, per the Congressional Research Service historical tracker. Every member of Congress was paid in full for these days. Back pay automatic.
→ crsreports.congress.gov

Home hero · Receipts · Letter

[ 04 ]

12,000% increase in top-donor political spending, 2008 → 2024 ($16.6M → $3B).

Brennan Center for Justice, 2024 — analysis of post-Citizens United giving by the top 0.0001% of donor households. The center attributes the shift directly to the 2010 Citizens United v. FEC decision.
→ brennancenter.org

Receipts · Bill (Constitutional Findings)

[ 05 ]

U.S. Senator annual salary: $174,000 — frozen since 2009.

Congressional Research Service, Report RL30064 — "Salaries of Members of Congress." Last legislative adjustment was in 2009; no COLA increases have taken effect since.
→ crsreports.congress.gov

Receipts · Letter

[ 06 ]

59 million small-business employees + 6.3 million small-business owners (~65M total).

U.S. Small Business Administration · Office of Advocacy, 2024 "Small Business Profile." Small businesses (≤500 employees) account for ~46% of the private-sector workforce.
→ advocacy.sba.gov

Bento (Who This Is For) · Letter (§ II)

[ 07 ]

$53,010 — median individual income, United States, 2024.

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Current Population Survey · Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Median earnings figure for all U.S. workers age 15 and older.
→ census.gov · P60-282

Bento (Who This Is For) · Letter (§ II)

[ 08 ]

~33–35 million workers at large employers (500+) earning under $60K — derived.

Derivation: ~60 million large-employer workers (SBA, the half not covered by small business) × the share of all U.S. workers earning under $60K (≥55%, per Census 2024 P60-282). Yields a band of ~33–35 million.
Combining with the 65M small-business figure yields the ~100M aggregate cited.

Bento (Who This Is For) · Letter (§ II)

[ 09 ]

Singapore: Prime Minister salary ~US$1.7M; Cabinet Minister ~US$750K.

Singapore Public Service Division, salary schedule. USD figures per Henry Powers' open letter (5/19/2026), reflecting the Lee Hsien Loong ministerial framework.
→ psd.gov.sg

Objections (§ 03 · The Unproven Experiment)

[ 10 ]

Anti-corruption ranking — Singapore #3, Denmark #1, New Zealand #2, Canada #12, United States #24.

Transparency International · Corruption Perceptions Index 2024. The CPI ranks 180 countries on perceived public-sector corruption; the United States has slipped progressively over the last decade.
→ transparency.org/cpi

Objections (§ 03)

[ 11 ]

Fortune 500 CEO compensation range: $15M – $50M annually.

Equilar 100 CEO Pay Study and AP / Equilar Annual CEO Survey, 2024 reporting cycle. Median CEO pay at the largest U.S. public companies sits in the $15–20M range; top-quartile CEOs earn $40–50M+.
→ equilar.com

Objections (§ 04 · Lightning Rod)

[ 12 ]

Federal budget — $7.4 trillion (FY 2026, current outlay basis).

Congressional Budget Office, FY 2026 outlay projection. Total federal salaries under this bill (~$640M) represent under 0.01% of the budget.
→ cbo.gov/budget

Plan · Letter · Bill

[ 13 ]

Primary election turnout typically 15–20% of eligible voters.

Bipartisan Policy Center · 2022 Primary Turnout Report and United States Elections Project (Prof. Michael McDonald, University of Florida). Federal primary turnout has hovered in the 15–22% band for the last decade.
→ electproject.org

Letter (§ Primaries) · Objections (§ 13)