Cornyn, Schumer rack up big travel bills

WASHINGTON, June 11 (UPI) -- Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., each spent more than $140,000 on travel in the first half of the fiscal year, an analysis shows.

The senators spent about 10 times as much on air flights as some of their colleagues, Politico reported Thursday.

The newspaper said Cornyn had highest travel bill in the Senate, partly by spending more than $38,000 on a St. Michaels, Md., retreat for 59 staffers and by taking multicity charter flights throughout Texas.

Schumer had the second-highest bill by routinely flying private charters to cities in New York. Politico noted that Schumer takes charter flights even to places served by commercial airlines.

On Dec. 2, 2008, for example, Schumer spent $4,000 for a round-trip on a private plane between New York to Albany.

"Sen. Schumer takes outreach to his 19 million-plus constituents seriously, and his busy travel pace makes him one of the most accessible members of Congress," Schumer spokesman Brian Fallon said.

Cornyn spokesman Kevin McLaughlin said his boss's airfare tab stems from the size of the senator's home state.

"It has to do with travel around Texas ... the realistic ability to use commercial flights to get him where he needs to be, when he needs to be there," said McLaughlin. "I've driven from Austin to El Paso, which is easily an eight-hour drive. It's unbelievable how far it is."