Taxpayers and Private Groups Pay for Congress's Globe-trotting Over Memorial Day
One of the benefits of being a member of Congress is lavish trips, sometimes on the taxpayers' dime
Updated on 7/25/08
Clark, a one-term Democratic senator from Iowa during the 1970s, says many spouses sit in on all the meetings and points to tangible results emerging from his conferences, such as No Child Left Behind education reforms and the landmark Nunn-Lugar program to rid the former Soviet Union of "loose nukes." As for the swank accommodations, he admits, "It's true, I don't take people to Holiday Inns." At Common Cause, a watchdog group, spokesman Michael Surrusco said while Aspen conferences are regarded as substantive, "a reasonable person is right to wonder if it is really necessary that a member and his wife get a $20,000 week in Rome in order to deal with this particular topic. Is it appropriate, is it necessary, is it directly germane to the work they are doing?"
House Democrat Rush Holt of New Jersey, who went to Rome, defends the program and says the conferences are so good that he's learned more from them than from official travel to Islamic countries. "Our day-to-day life in Congress is broken into 15-minute segments, 12 hours a day, so the program is among the best opportunities we have to delve into subjects," he says. "They are one of few opportunities we have for deliberative, substantive, bipartisan looks at important subjects."
Voinovich, the Ohio senator, echoes Holt in calling Aspen conferences "extremely helpful." Not only did he take his wife to Rome, but the two also enjoyed a tropical destination this spring. The couple joined seven other lawmakers March 24, the day after Easter, for a five-day conference courtesy of Aspen on the Hawaiian island of Lanai. The setting was a sumptuous Four Seasons resort, the Lodge at Koele, and the sessions explored U.S.-China relations. All but one of the eight lawmakers took their spouses to the Aloha State.
A new trend among average people is a "staycation," or sticking close to home. In June, for example, the percentage of Americans who planned a vacation within six months fell to 36 percent, the lowest since the question first was asked in 1978, says the Conference Board, a not-for-profit research organization. No one would call the Aspen conferences "vacations," though the settings certainly fit the bill. Give or take, Clark expects 15 members of Congress in Paris once August rolls around, though, for now, he's mum on just who's coming.
-With Jennifer O'Shea
Reader Comments
The Evil of Two Lessers
Thank you for this fine article. Many of these responses indicate people are comprehending what is really happening inside the Beltway. Whether this is a mountain or molehill isn't the point. It is only a snapshot of the excess and abuse occurring everday at the taxpayers' expense. The whole portfolio is tantamount to a nightmare!
As for those who don't have a problem with this, perhaps voting for the lesser of two evils is your preference? My suggestion is don't deride those who think outside the box and vote for third party candidates. It is imperative to recognize all the problems in our government and NOT be dismissive of them. Voters should NOT accept the evil of two lessers and validate the type of corruption outlined in this article.
Indeed, term limits are essential. Here's a plan: 2 terms for Senators and 6 terms for Representatives. A dozen years is ample time to productively serve the public.
Meanwhile, saavy journalists and readers shall continue to lead you to the water in hopes that someday you'll drink it. Otherwise, enjoy the steady diet of coolaide the two major parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, are feeding you, the voting taxpayer, while they enjoy the finest wines in Rome, etc.
Net worth of Congressmen
If you want to see what the net worth of our poorly paid congressmen/women is go to http://www.sunlightfoundation.com and click on icon that reads "Fortune 535, Running the numbers on Congressional New Worth." You can look up net worth of congressment/women by state, individual, richest or poorest. In many ways these individuals are the best money can buy.
No problem with this, seconded
This article is bemoaning molehills while ignoring the MOUNTAINS of corporate excess in the private sector rob shareholders and customers to line their deep pockets. Remember Dennis Koslowski, Ken Lay, Al Dunlap, Michael Eisner, Michael Ovitz? They are only the ones who got caught, either by the law or the media spotlight - tip of the iceberg. And then a $20K junket to Rome is dwarfed by the multibillion dollar unnecessary wars the Bush family is so eager to engage our armed forces in. There are far more important issues to be addressed than who got what junket and whose wife got to come along for the ride...
If we are to attract talent into federal government, there needs to be some sort of reward, like lavish business trips. Right now, the pay is too small for many of the executive and legislative positions. This results in rather untalented people, like George W Bush, running for president nowadays. That position in particular needs a pay raise. The head of state in tiny Singapore makes a million a year. We should copy that to lure more talented people into running for office.
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