The answer is simple. Make those perfumed disfunctional peacocks in congress pay twice as much to get their hair cut, died, braided, whatever. Why should taxpayers get taken for this.

How many of our reps use this? Seem every politician in Congress who appears on TV looks like they just woke up from tossing and turning.

The hair is often too long and poorly cut.

How about a Department of Congressional Grooming?

Surely in a place as big as DC and its environs, there are plenty of barber and beauty shops. Why in the Sam Hill does the Senate even need its own barber shop? Just go out, find one you like and pay the man to cut your hair Mr. Senator.

I wish someone would at least ask why we have a congressional barbershop? sigh

When someone talks about these people losing their jobs ask them how all the barbers in the private hair cutting industry are able to get jobs and make a living. Government is currupt to the core.

Tell me again how many millionaires do we have in the senate???

They are probably paying down the deficit from when John Edwards was there! All things said, this is so very shameful and corrupt. Close it now. I can pay for my own haircut and they can too.

I am very weary of our elected darlings getting perks like this - cut it out, along with the bigoffices, the gofers that they have, the hefty salaries and retirements. Term limits with low salaries and no fancy stuff. That goes for the prez also.

This is the first I have ever heard of this. More proof that our government is too big and too corrupt. Could you imagine our Founding Fathers expecting to have a taxpayer subsidized wig powdering salon??? We would never have survived as a country for more than 6 months.

Seems quite like the Marie Antoinette thing for our time, this and the other luxuries shared by those privileged few among us.

This is barely the tip of the iceberg. How much do we spend flying them all around the country for their long weekends and recesses, dry cleaning, free lunches, limousines and on and on? If the population was as educated and well informed as the founders had intended this would have ended long ago. It certainly would not have ended well for most of those in office.

Do WTP taxpayers pay for their manicures/pedicures as well. I might have to think twice about their pedicures....as we find we must kiss the ´anointed feet´ from time to time.

As I read this I had a fleeting memory of my first day in the USAF. Not only did I have to pay for my first military haircut, but I was expected to tip the barber. As I mulled that thought over, brooding on the unfairness of my paying for something I did not particularly want, I thought, boy, we ought to make those so-and-so´s pay double. Then I thought, no, we should REQUIRE them to get haircuts, just like the first one I got while working for the people of the USA. After all, we have been at war since 9/11/2001. I would think all those patriotic Senators would flock to the barbershop in order to show solidarity with the "troops." I think we should start with Barbra Boxer, she who took such umbrage at being called Ma´am by a General.

DUH, raise the prices to at least break even!

Somehow financial issues totally escape our "smart" politicians.

They should levy a "congressional perks" fee, like college students have to pay. It should cover the cost of the barbershop, parking, dining room, gym, etc. All the perks should be covered out of their own pockets...then see how long before they start cutting back on their unique entitlements.....call it what it is...taxpayer subsidized entitlements for these Princes of the Potomac.

Note that this $350,000 deficit per year is for ONLY the Senate. That is $3,500 per year for each senator, assuming that the women senators also get their hair done there. The House has their own barbershop which was privatized under Newt Gingrich. And as someone pointed out, almost all the senators are millionaires.

They should also look into the Member dining rooms, the ones that aren´t open to the public. They are probably being subsidized as well.

I don´t know what the barbers make per year, but I read somewhere that the price of a haircut is $20. A %350K deficit would say the barbers get pretty good money.

Could we see the bill for the bottled water, haircuts, shoeshines, flowers, liquor and whatever other perks they receive ?

The only think Zippy ever said that I agreed with was in 2008 when he said Washington lives in a bubble. In January 2009 he stepped into the bubble and there was no more conversation about it.

Too many in Washington live in the bubble and can´t possibly feel your pain-or care.