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| Subject: Another story without a link | |
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Author: Mo' Green |
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Date Posted: 11:24:25 04/16/07 Mon In reply to: Oropan 's message, "Defecit Hawks! LOL" on 04:38:01 04/16/07 Mon >Congressional junkets picking up steam Not according to this piece of crap story. It makes absolutely no reference to any change in congressional travel whatsoever. > > >Apr 15, 2007 10:13 PM >by Charles Hurt, The Examiner > More and more congressional delegation trips are >becoming an everyday occurence on Capitol Hill with >the Carribbean becoming a favorite destination. >Congress is keeping Andrews Air Force base plenty busy >this year ferrying lawmakers all over the globe at >taxpayers’ expense. Rep. Bennie Thompson of >Mississippi took his wife, nine Democrats and two >Republicans - Reps. Dan Lungren of California and Mike >Rogers of Alabama - on a whirlwind tour of the >Caribbean last week. After stops in Honduras and >Mexico, they stopped in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where >the delegation stayed at the five-star Caneel Bay >resort. > > >In a separate trip to the Caribbean last week, Rep. >Eliot Engel of New York squired his wife and four >Democratic members to Grenada and Trinidad. > >All told, the military flew at least 13 congressional >delegations to various destinations during the Easter >recess -- at an estimated rate of $10,000 or more per >flying hour. > >The congressional delegation trips, known as CODELs, >are paid for by taxpayers. They are supposed to be >directly related to members’ official duties, and >House guidelines also stipulate that delegations >include members of both parties to qualify for >military planes -- a requirement that Speaker Nancy >Pelosi waived for Engel’s group and two other >delegations. > >“There was a good faith effort made to include >Republican members,” a Pelosi spokesman said. “For one >reason or another, that did not work.” > >In one instance, he said, a Republican slated for a >Democrat-led trip had to cancel because of a “family >emergency.” > >In their successful campaign to win control of >Congress last fall, Democrats accused Republicans of >extravagant travel paid for by lobbyists. Some of >these trips carried a strong whiff of influence >peddling. The worst that can be said of CODELS, and >critics often say it, is that they’re junkets. > >Thompson’s office said he toured the Caribbean because >he now chairs the Homeland Security Committee and >wanted to see vacation hot spots to “examine border >security and port security.” Three other members of >the delegation also brought along their spouses. > >“They are going from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. everyday,” a >committee spokeswoman told The Examiner. “They do not >have down time.” > >At the Caneel Bay resort, where room rates reach >$1,100 per night, the spokeswoman said Thompson and >his wife paid the “government rate.” But, according to >the reservations department, Caneel Bay doesn’t “offer >any government rates.” > >After Caneel Bay, the group headed to Key West, Fla., >for a “classified briefing on inter-jurisdictional >agency task forces,” a Thompson spokeswoman said. > >The Caribbean trip led by Engel, who is chairman of >the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western >Hemisphere, explored the “best practices for emergency >disaster relief” and energy policy, according to his >office. > >Traveling with Engel and his wife were Reps. Yvette >Clarke, D-N.Y., Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Tex., and >Barbara Lee, D-Calif. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., >who went to Belgium in a delegation led by Rep. Barney >Frank, D-Mass., earlier in the week, also joined >Engel’s Caribbean trip. She brought her husband with >her. > >Frank’s trip to Belgium and London was related to his >work as chairman of the House Financial Services >Committee, according to his office. The trip, which >also included Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., was designed >“to further understand the interrelationship between >various issues related to the financial services >regulatory structures” of the United States, the >United Kingdom and the European Union, according to >Frank’s office. > >Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., also led a trip to Belgium >over the two-week Easter recess. In February, Sen. Bob >Bennett, R-Utah, took a delegation there. > >“We’re at war with Iraq and Afghanistan, but >apparently our members see Belgium as our most urgent >international destination,” scoffed one Republican >member of Congress. > >Last week, Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., defended >Congressional travelers after a trip he took to Syria >came under intense White House criticism. > >“Members of Congress are not simply potted plants, >though the White House apparently would like them to >be,” he told reporters after his return. “Congress >plays an important role in determining policy and >providing funding for America’s international >policies.” [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| Subject | Author | Date |
| OOOHH, I'm so sorry! | Oropan | 13:00:15 04/16/07 Mon |