FILE - House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., spent nearly 10 minutes Wednesday ranting about Peloton during a speech on the House floor. 

California Rep. Kevin McCarthy spent nearly 10 minutes on the House floor Wednesday ranting about Peloton, an exercise company that became widely popular early in the coronavirus pandemic.

His diatribe came in response to a proposal by House administrators to make Peloton Corporate Wellness benefits available to all House staff, including in-district staff and Capitol Police officers. Those benefits include a free subscription to the Peloton App — which provides users with a variety of workout plans that can be done anywhere — as well as a free “all-access membership,” which allows users access to all Peloton equipment, including the company’s trademark exercise bike.

“This week, as families struggle to find baby formula, Speaker Pelosi’s House decided to add special new perks for Washington lawmakers and staff,” McCarthy said. “One of those perks was a VIP membership to Peloton, paid for by hardworking American taxpayers. What’s next, free Jeni’s ice cream?”

Fox Business reported that the contract House administrators negotiated with Peloton includes a $10,000 base fee plus $10 per month for each staff member who signs up. Given that the House employs roughly 10,000 people — plus an additional 2,300 members of the Capitol Police — that contract could cost the federal government more than $100,000 per month, or $1.2 million per year, depending on how many people sign up.

McCarthy, the Republican House leader, said the proposal makes Congress appear “out of touch” with an American public that’s grappling with steep increases in the prices of food and gas. He also called the proposal “duplicative,” since members of Congress and their staff already have access to on-campus fitness facilities.  But while he appeared to have a good grasp of the House’s contract with Peloton, he seemed not to understand exactly what Peloton is — or more generally, what the point of a fitness bike is.

“You may be asking, ‘What’s Peloton?’ It’s a bike that costs $2,000. Not only that, each month you pay a monthly subscription fee to ride your $2,000 bike, and best of all, it’s stationary,” he said. “So, it’s a $2,000 bike that you pay to use and pay to set up that doesn’t go anywhere. What’s a business like that?”

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is on the House floor railing against Peloton because Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave everyone in Congress a Peloton membership: "It's a $2,000 bike that you pay to use and pay to set up that doesn't go anywhere. What's a business like that?" pic.twitter.com/bVkVuSsAC6

While Peloton bikes can cost north of $1,000, they can be found in gyms, recreation centers and hotels throughout the U.S. With their new perks, congressional staffers could use a Peloton bike at their local gym for free — simply having a Peloton membership doesn’t mean a person needs to spend $2,000 to acquire a bike.

McCarthy’s harping on the bike’s stationary status also comes across as strange. Fitness bikes are supposed to be stationary. And unlike most, the Peloton bike can access the internet and offers an array of workout programs and spin classes through the screen attached to the handlebars. That’s one of the reasons the company’s popularity soared during the pandemic — users were able to do instructor-led bike workouts from home instead of going to an in-person class. 

If all of this seems like madness, that’s because it is. While McCarthy is probably right to point out that this isn’t the best use of taxpayer money, we’re not sure that outweighs the embarrassment that comes with making a withering 10-minute speech about Peloton in the same chamber that Franklin Roosevelt once used to address Congress after the Pearl Harbor attack. Besides, $1.2 million per year — a very liberal estimate — is a drop in the bucket when it comes to federal spending.   

Alec Regimbal is a reporter.