U.S. President Barack Obama outlines his job creation plan before a Joint Session of Congress in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC. UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg |
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Outside groups spent more than $1.5 million underwriting privately financed congressional trips abroad, torpedoing previous records, an analysis indicated.
Four years after Congress tightened restrictions on privately funded travel, more than 100 members took trips financed by private organizations to destinations such as Colorado, Mongolia, South Africa, Israel and Las Vegas, an analysis of travel disclosure forms by Roll Call released Tuesday indicated.
The previous record during the past decade was August 2003, when outside groups spent slightly more than $1 million.
Campaign Legal Center Policy Director Meredith McGehee, who worked on the travel restriction reforms, said she wasn't surprised by the August numbers, Roll Call said.
"We did the best we could at that time, but we were left with loopholes we didn't necessarily support," McGehee said. "Washington is very, very flexible that way -- people get paid lots of money to figure those [loopholes] out."
Helping drive the August totals was a biennial trip to Israel sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation that at least 65 members went on this year, Roll Call said. The charitable arm of the pro-Israel lobbying organization American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent at least $1.18 million sending lawmakers, spouses, children and other relatives on expenses-paid trips to Israel in August, disclosures filed with the House clerk's office indicated.
The most expensive trip reported for August was the foundation-sponsored trip for Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., and his wife, totaling $30,616. However, a Palazzo spokesman said the overall cost will be less because the airline refunded part of the Palazzos' airfare that was high because of extra return tickets purchased during Hurricane Irene.
An AIPAC and foundation representative confirmed to Roll Call that the trips of some members were more costly than anticipated because of flight and lodging changes during Hurricane Irene.
