WASHINGTON – Rep. Bill Owens is sending more than $95,000 of his 2011 Congressional office budget back to the United States Treasury.

Owens said the return is to help pay down the federal deficit. This is the third consecutive year that Owens has returned surplus office funds to the Treasury.

In addition to returning that amount, Owens also voted to cut more than $75,000 from his budget from last year, for a total savings of $170,000.

“As New York families and small business owners continue to tighten their belts, so too must every member of Congress,” said Owens. “We cannot seriously talk about reducing the national debt and deficit without first operating our own offices in a fiscally responsible manner. I am pleased to return this portion of my office budget to the Treasury to help pay down the deficit.”

In addition to trimming his own budget, Owens has cosponsored legislation to cut his own salary, voted twice to freeze cost-of-living-adjustments for members of Congress, and wrote to House Speaker John Boehner to suspend congressional and presidential pay in the event of a government shutdown.

Owens also voted this year to pass H.R. 2551, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, which reduced the 2012 office budget for every member of Congress by 6.4%.