Economy Wallops Lawmakers' Fortunes

The 50 richest members of Congress are still rich, but their personal finances show they’re not immune to the economic downturn, Roll Call reports. Together, the pols on the list have lost $275 million in personal wealth since 2007. In 2008, the legislators' combined assets of $1.3 billion fall well short of the $1.5 billion total just a year earlier. The top 5:

1. John Kerry: The Massachusetts senator has lost $64 million over the past year. But Kerry and his wife, ketchup heiress Teresa Heinz Kerry, could still be worth $1 billion.

2. Darrell Issa: The California congressman's net worth actually grew, thanks to investments in car electronics and real estate, and now totals $164.7 million.
3. Jane Harman: The California Democrat took a hit by way of her husband's audio company and now has $112.13 million.
4. Jay Rockefeller: The West Virginia senator saw few ups and downs; he maintained his $80.45 million fortune.
5. Mark Warner: The wealthiest freshman senator took a hit of $30 million but is still more than comfortable, with $72.37 million on the books.

For the full list, click the link below.
(More John Kerry stories.)