(MONEY Magazine) – There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but our U.S. senators get pretty close to it. According to a recent audit by the General Accounting Office, last year the Senate dining facilities lost a hefty $2 million, or $20,000 per senator (plus staff)--a tab picked up by you and moi. Cut out these fancy food stamps for senators, and you could provide real food stamps for 2,283 more poor people or weekday breakfasts for 10,920 needy school children.

Certainly our hard-working senators need access to affordable, nutritious meals, since they constantly run to the Senate floor to vote on key issues (including the past year's decision to slice $2 million from the food-stamp budget). But do they really need a 61% discount on a bowl of soup? Indeed, a look at the Senate menu revealed prices on average 42% lower than those at a comparable restaurant nearby (see the table at right). Adding to the cost of congressional cuisine are the Senate's 170 high-priced waiters and chefs. While their salaries are comparable to those paid in the private sector, their benefits are richer than pecan pie. Among them: up to 26 days of vacation plus 12 sick days, and generous retirement and health-care plans.

The Senate restaurant could raise its 2% interest rate for delinquent diners who don't pay up. As of Sept. 28, 1996, the GAO reported $195,189 in bills outstanding, more than half due from outside groups, including the White House. Better yet, it could raise prices. A reasonable 15% across-the-board hike would cut losses in half, saving taxpayers some $1 million--enough to serve up breakfast to 5,460 children or food stamps to 1,141 more parents and kids. Or maybe we should let the senators eat cake--and charge them dearly for it.

--Ann Reilly Dowd