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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% 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% since 2005, when an influence-peddling scandal led to a ban on travel funded by lobbyists, according to the data.
That upright Republican Richard Shelby was along on the Paris Air Show trip, I see, entertaining defense industry execs.
"The congressional trips are possible thanks in part to an unlimited fund created by a three-decade old law. Nearly two dozen government officials work full-time organizing the trips. Much of the costs are not made public, including the cost of flying on government jets. The Air Force maintains a fleet of 16 passenger planes for use by lawmakers."
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% 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% since 2005, when an influence-peddling scandal led to a ban on travel funded by lobbyists, according to the data.
OK, are the Democrats the only people on these junkets?
I'm not as upset over the 50% increases from the Democrats (though still upset) as I am about the overall attitude in Congress. They are public servants and should be paid/treated as such. To hell with this era of power hungry b*stards (the whole lot of them). We need to take them all down a peg.
I'm not as upset over the 50% increases from the Democrats (though still upset) as I am about the overall attitude in Congress. They are public servants and should be paid/treated as such. To hell with this era of power hungry b*stards (the whole lot of them). We need to take them all down a peg.
I think they should all be required to pay their own fare and hotel, fly coach, and stay at holiday inn.
"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."
I'm not as upset over the 50% increases from the Democrats (though still upset) as I am about the overall attitude in Congress. They are public servants and should be paid/treated as such. To hell with this era of power hungry b*stards (the whole lot of them). We need to take them all down a peg.
I don't think it was only Democrats traveling.
Also, isn't there more traveling during election years? Could that have had anything to do with it? As well as 2008, the summer when gas went over $4/gal and traveling costs went through the roof? Just seems like several things came together at the same time to create the situation, and that it wasn't necessarily a partisan thing at all.
Also, isn't there more traveling during election years? Could that have had anything to do with it? As well as 2008, the summer when gas went over $4/gal and traveling costs went through the roof? Just seems like several things came together at the same time to create the situation, and that it wasn't necessarily a partisan thing at all.
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