Not all people working in the halls of Congress are paid by Congress. Some are on fellowships from nonprofits, funded to assist Congress with important policy areas. Some are on assignment from executive agencies to provide special expertise. These people aren’t eligible for all of the same benefits a regular Congressional staffer receives. For example, they can’t get a free Metro pass.

But they can get a parking space. Even though, in a pale imitation of a parking cash-out, regular staffers can choose between a parking space and a Metro pass (the space surely costing the government more), these special workers can’t even choose. It’s a free parking space or nothing. After all, to deny them the parking space would violate Article I, Section 9 (Limits on Congress), “No Person working for the Congress may be denied a Place to store his personal Automobile without payment of any Fees or Tolls.” (OK, I’m kidding about the Constitution. Not about the ridiculousness of Congressional parking.)

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Tagged: congress, free parking, government, parking, public spaces, the capitol

David Alpert created Greater Greater Washington in 2008 and was its executive director until 2020. He formerly worked in tech and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco Bay, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He lives with his wife and two children in Dupont Circle.