Congressional junkets picking up steam

[Terri]

Examiner

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - 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.

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[papajaxxx]

I see no earthly reason why the U.S. government should pay for congessional junkets to other countries. You learn no more from visiting there than you do from learning on the internet.

The places they go, the people they meet, and the situations they incur are all staged. Staging does not give you adequate, pure and valid information.

Stop all junkets for all congressmen and ladies!

Their job is to legislate...let the state department handle the other.

[Think About It]

The current Congress don't mind wasteful spending of the funds that our taxes provide. They have forgotten that there are three separate branches of government. Many members of the current Congress want to act as the executive branch also. They are as pampered as their media and "Hollywood" buddies. This is another good argument for term limits.

[gpiacenti]

They don't want to fund the troops, just their vacations.

[Amawalk John]

I'm sure there are others, but the only Senator whose "junkets" I approved of was Dr. Bill Frist, MD who used his free time while the Senate was not in session to do pro bono medical work in third world slums.

I wonder how many of our congressional hand wringers have used their down time to volunteer some actual (unphotographed) service in places like Haiti or Darfur, i.e. far from the $400 haircut shops and four star restaurants.

[Cynical Pete]

What about Congress being slightly interesed in the shooting rampage at Virginia Tech? The money they spent could certainly go to the victims families and to purchase weapons for school security forces. This is just plain horrible for Congress to be basking in far away vacation spots when they are needed here at home.

THE ARMED CITIZEN IS STILL ALIVE

[vjimatjijoro]

And these elected officials want the American Tax payer to believe their lies AND pay for their vacations!!! Then they wonder why the public has no faith in the GOVERNMENT!

[Dentyne]

Amen to Amawalk John's comments. the Hyprocrisy is coming through LOUD and CLEAR.

[phillyfanatic]

The waste of these people and our monied resources duplicating other govt. outreaches and agendas is just another reason, why all junkets should be abolished. When Lantos says Congress has the right to visit areas to establish policy, I wonder what policies that would mean and could factually be cited. I know Jim Moran of Va. came back from one junket and immediately blamed the President for the alien resident's shooting horror in Va. Perhaps we could also legislate stupid remarks out of the Congressional Record!!!!!

[tgclark]

How come the taxpayer has to pay for all their foolishness, I am just sick of it. They think they are above the lowly middle-class worker, they better think again. I still believe they should impeach Pelosi and start reprimanding all others for these vacation junkets.