Congressional Travel Tab Swells in Recent Years

Congressional Travel Tab Swells in Recent Years - Political News - FOXNews.com

WASHINGTON -- Spending by lawmakers on taxpayer-financed trips abroad has risen sharply in recent years, a Wall Street Journal analysis of travel records shows, involving everything from war-zone visits to trips to exotic spots such as the Galápagos Islands.

The spending on overseas travel is up almost tenfold since 1995, and has nearly tripled since 2001, according to the Journal analysis of 60,000 travel records. Hundreds of lawmakers traveled overseas in 2008 at a cost of about $13 million. That's a 50 percent jump since Democrats took control of Congress two years ago.

The cost of so-called congressional delegations, known among lawmakers as "codels," has risen nearly 70 percent since 2005, when an influence-peddling scandal led to a ban on travel funded by lobbyists, according to the data.

Lawmakers say that the trips are a good use of government funds because they allow members of Congress and their staff members to learn more about the world, inspect U.S. assets abroad and forge better working relationships with each other. The travel, for example, includes official visits to American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Journal analysis, based on information published in the Congressional Record, also shows that taxpayer-funded travel is a big and growing perk for lawmakers and their families. Some members of Congress have complained in recent months about chief executives of bailed-out banks, insurance companies and car makers who sponsored corporate trips to resorts or used corporate jets for their own travel.

Mean While back in the United States Congress and the President blast Auto Exects for using their private Jets but hey that's alright we will use the Tax payer Fleet and run off to some nice Tropical Island.

If they want to travel fine let them pay for it just like the rest of us, I for one would love to see the 89th Airlift Wing to lose some of there C-40B,C-32C.C-37A and only use the rest for the President and Vic President and certain Congressinal Trips that must meet certain criteria's.

Any trip a congressman makes that cannot be considered "helpful to the will of the American people" should be on their own dime. As far as I care, they should be locked in that god damn Capitol and not be released until they come up with "good ideas".

Servants are allowed to leave the premise only for the will of the Masters.

Scorpion89 said:

The spending on overseas travel is up almost tenfold since 1995, and has nearly tripled since 2001, according to the Journal analysis of 60,000 travel records. Hundreds of lawmakers traveled overseas in 2008 at a cost of about $13 million. That's a 50 percent jump since Democrats took control of Congress two years ago.

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What have fuel prices done during that period of time?

Travel is part of the duties of a member of Congress, and should be funded by the government. However, there is no reason for excess trips or bringing families along. Public money should only be spent for practical job requirements not personal luxuries.

Redress said:

What have fuel prices done during that period of time?

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Not sure but I can find out what Jp4 and Jp5 is going for and then we can try to get a cost.

Also lets not forget to throw in maintance and down time for these aircraft. Redress you understand that from your time in the Navy.

If I recall for every hour of flight time for the C-40B it's two hours of down time I know that the VH-1N the ratio is 3-1 for maintance and downtime.

Does this mean that the Dems are going to get off Palin's back about this very thing?

rathi said:

Travel is part of the duties of a member of Congress, and should be funded by the government. However, there is no reason for excess trips or bringing families along. Public money should only be spent for practical job requirements not personal luxuries.

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You know my mother works for the government, and they pay when she goes on a business trip. But we still have to pay for every other trip we make. The government should only pay for trips that come with the job, and even then they should not be luxurious trips. My mother flies coach, and so should these congressmen, unless they are willing to pay the difference for first class. The government should stop paying for all of the bells and whistles, otherwise they better pay back my family for years of vacations.

I don't really have a problem if the trips are to war zones, or from Washington to their districts or vice versa, or on any legitimate fact-finding trip. But they should have to demonstrate some legitimate purpose.

The Galapagos Islands haven't been a hotspot of newsworthy events since Darwin. That seems like a pretty blatant abuse of taxpayer money.