Congress

Congressional Book Club: Lawmakers Earn Big Money from Author Side Hustles

Lawmakers typically can’t earn money outside of their jobs in the Capitol. Book writing is one big exception.

Bernie Sanders and his book
Sen. Bernie Sanders and his book “It’s Okay to Be Angry at Capitalism” Jens Kalaene/Jens Kalaene/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

By Dave Levinthal

August 18, 2025 05:19 AM

Making money off of a side hustle as a member of the U.S. House or Senate — save for some strictly limited employment as, say, a university lecturer — is generally prohibited by congressional rules.

But there’s one giant loophole: book writing.

In 2024, about two-dozen federal lawmakers made extra cash from their authorship gigs, according to a NOTUS analysis of new congressional financial disclosures.