Blue Herald

Since 2000, private organizations have spent more than $21 million to fly members of Congress around the world. A breakdown of the number of trips and how much was spent by private groups in the past six years:

2000 — 1,018 trips at $2.5 million

2001 — 1,303 trips at $3.8 million

2002 — 781 trips at $2.5 million

2003 — 1,292 trips at $4 million

2004 — 1,171 trips at $3.5 million

2005 — 1,339 trips at $3.6 million

2006 — 546 trips $1.4 million (as of Nov. 30)

Members of Congress reported 157 more gifts of free travel in 2005 that had been previously reported on travel reports due thirty days after a trip was completed. Some trips, such as government funded or political travel, or travel that is unrelated to official duties, do not have to be reported on travel forms. PoliticalMoneyLine has made no attempt to determine if these trips should have been disclosed earlier on travel forms. But many other Members have reported trips from some of the same sponsors on travel forms.

From calls to some Members- offices, it is obvious that there often is confusion inside an office as to who is supposed to be completing and filing the forms. There are also questions about what types of trips need be reported on the forms or in the next year’s financial report.

These 157 free trips were reported by fifty-three Members on the 2006 personal financial disclosure statements covering 2005 activity, however no dollars amounts of the cost of trips are required in those reports. These new free trips have been keyed into our Travel-Privately Paid database. They may be searched by Member name, sponsor name, or location.

Members- privately-paid travel in 2005 totaled $3.6+ million from travel forms. Members privately paid travel in 2006 totals $1.4 million through travel forms filed as of 11/30/06.

The following newly tallied free trips in 2005 involved overseas travel. The traveler, dates, destination, and sponsor, if any, are listed below.

Sen. John McCain, 11/28 to 12/1, London, England, Blackstone Group.
Sen. Jim Bunning, 2/18-21, San Juan, PR, CPA Society of Puerto Rico.
Rep. William Jefferson, 8/5-12, Brazil, Jefferson Committee/City of New Orleans.
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick, 8/20-27, Nigeria, African World Expo.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, 6/7-14, Tel Aviv, Israel, AIPAC.
Rep. Kenny Marchant, 6/2-4, Cabo, Mexico, Southern Nazarene Univ.
Rep. Mike McIntyre, 3/21-25, Edinburgh, Scotland, British Government.
Rep. Charles Rangel, 7/2-7, Singapore, NYC2012 Singapore Delegation.
Rep. Charles Rangel, 8/12-16, Taipei, Taiwan, Democratic Pacific Assembly.
Rep. Charles Rangel, 11/11-13, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, New York Carib News.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner, 5/27-6/3, Sydney, Australia, Heritage Foundation.
Rep. Diane Watson, 3/27-30, Doha, Qatar, Islamic Free market Institute.

Rep. David Scott and spouse, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones and her sister, Rep. Gregory Meeks and spouse, Rep. Sanford Bishop and spouse, Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick, and Rep. Donald Payne took a free trip to Panama City, Panama, compliments of the Carib News Foundation. Their reports were just filed and one included a letter from the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct indicating that all the sponsors of the trip, not just the Carib News Foundation, should be listed on the Members travel forms. This would include Macy’s, Pfizer, AT&T, Citibank, IBM, American Airlines, Golden Krust Franchises, Jerk Qzine, Panama City, and the Republic of Panama. These were not included on the Members- travel reports.

An October 6, 2006 working copy of the agenda lists AT&T /Macy’s sponsoring the sessions on “Unlocking New Regional Opportunities and Expanding Business Horizons.” AT&T was also listed for a session on “Technology - The Engine of Invention”. Pfizer was listed for sessions on “Health Care - a strong investment and growth center for the economy,” and “Health Care Regional Initiatives.” Citibank was listed for the session on “Regional Economic Collaboration,” and the session on Entrepreneurship - The Next Level.”

Rep. Jim McDermott received a free trip to Amman, Jordan, to meet with Middle Eastern intellectuals and parliamentarians to discuss the peace process. The $4,906 cost was paid by the Arab Community Coalition and Dr. Munther J. Haddadin.

Sen. Harry Reid is planning on a government paid trip to Peru’s ancient city of Machu Picchu right after Christmas. A Reid spokesperson told the Washington Post that Reid, several other Senators and spouses, as well as staff will hear about “critical security and economic issues.”

Source: PoliticalMoneyLine