Members of Congress travel a lot, and often do so using taxpayers' money.
Overseas travel expenses for lawmakers are up ten-fold since 1995, The Wall Street Journal recently reported:
"The Journal analysis shows that the government has picked up the tab for travel to destinations such as Jamaica, the Virgin Islands and Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
"Lawmakers frequently bring along spouses on congressional trips. If they take commercial flights, they have to buy tickets for spouses. If they fly on government planes -- as they usually do -- their spouses can fly free.
"In mid-June, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D., Hawaii) led a group of a half-dozen senators and their spouses on a four-day trip to France for the biennial Paris Air Show. An itinerary for the event shows that lawmakers flew on the Air Force's version of the Boeing 737, which costs $5,700 an hour to operate. They stayed at the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand Hotel, which advertises rooms from $460 a night.
"The lawmakers were invited to a dinner party at the U.S. Embassy and had cocktails at a private party at the Eiffel Tower."
The Journal explained that sometimes members of Congress travel to war zones, but stop at more comfy places along the way. They often fly on one of the 16 Air Force planes that the government maintains for members of Congress:
"Often, lawmakers combine trips to war zones with visits to more tranquil spots. In February, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a delegation of Democratic lawmakers to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan for a day. Before landing in Kabul, the eight lawmakers and their entourage of spouses and aides spent eight days in Italy, spending $57,697 on hotels and meals."
OpenSecrets.org, a site run by the Center for Responsive Politics, has listed the top Congressional travelers from 2005 to 2008:
Total # of trips
| 1. | John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich) | $94,391 | 76 |
| 2. | Collin C. Peterson (D-Minn) | $62,670 | 66 |
| 3. | Joe Barton (R-Texas) | $110,946 | 62 |
| 4. | Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga) | $113,959 | 61 |
| 5. | Larry Craig (R-Idaho) | $68,085 | 56 |
| 6. | Hillary Clinton (D-NY) | $87,549 | 50 |
| 7. | Don Young (R-Alaska) | $71,144 | 47 |
| 8. | John Lewis (D-Ga) | $29,455 | 44 |
| 9. | Bob Goodlatte (R-Va) | $62,637 | 43 |
| 10. | Bill Thomas (R-Calif) | $34,228 | 43 |
Top Congressional travelers by the cost of the trips:
Total # of trips
| 1. | Chuck Hagel (R-Neb) | $118,363 | 35 |
| 2. | Robert F. Bennett (R-Utah) | $116,322 | 37 |
| 3. | Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga) | $113,959 | 61 |
| 4. | Joe Barton (R-Texas) | $110,946 | 62 |
| 5. | Donald M. Payne (D-NJ) | $110,560 | 35 |
| 6. | Jim McDermott (D-Wash) | $109,988 | 38 |
| 7. | Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md) | $99,207 | 14 |
| 8. | Shelley Berkley (D-Nev) | $97,469 | 17 |
| 9. | John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich) | $94,391 | 76 |
| 10. | Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind) | $92,199 | 35 |
