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Congress's Travel Tab Swells (up 50% since Dems took over Congress!)
Wall Street Journal ^ | 7-2-09 | BRODY MULLINS and T.W. FARNAM

Posted on 07/02/2009 2:57:24 PM PDT by Justaham

WASHINGTON -- Spending by lawmakers on taxpayer-financed trips abroad has risen sharply in recent years, a Wall Street Journal analysis of travel records shows, involving everything from war-zone visits to trips to exotic spots such as the Galápagos Islands.

The spending on overseas travel is up almost tenfold since 1995, and has nearly tripled since 2001, according to the Journal analysis of 60,000 travel records. Hundreds of lawmakers traveled overseas in 2008 at a cost of about $13 million. That's a 50% jump since Democrats took control of Congress two years ago.

The cost of so-called congressional delegations, known among lawmakers as "codels," has risen nearly 70% since 2005, when an influence-peddling scandal led to a ban on travel funded by lobbyists, according to the data.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 111th; congressionaltravel; junkets; pelosi; reid
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1 posted on 07/02/2009 2:57:25 PM PDT by Justaham
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To: Justaham

I mean “Congress”, not “Congres”.


2 posted on 07/02/2009 2:58:16 PM PDT by Justaham
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To: Justaham

They don’t deserve two s’s unless you are referring to Hitler’s SS.


3 posted on 07/02/2009 3:00:00 PM PDT by I Hate Obama (Don't Blame Me I Voted For Paris Hilton)
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To: I Hate Obama

CongreSS


4 posted on 07/02/2009 3:01:04 PM PDT by cripplecreek (The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
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To: Justaham

more living well on the taxpayers money.
i can’t imagine how even 5% of this could be justified,


5 posted on 07/02/2009 3:04:19 PM PDT by paul51 (11 September 2001 - Never forget)
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To: cripplecreek

Didn’t you read post #2?


6 posted on 07/02/2009 3:05:43 PM PDT by Justaham
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To: Justaham

This is like the teenagers you had house sit while you are on vacation found your ATM card and the keys to the liquor cabinet.


7 posted on 07/02/2009 3:09:35 PM PDT by Natural Law
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To: Justaham
"WELCOME TO THE REAL AMERICA WHERE CRIMINALS GET TO BE
CELEBRITIES AND CELEBRITIES GET AWAY WITH MURDER."
"TO DIE FOR" Columbia Pictures

All animals are equal, but those with relatives in the US Congress,
are much more equal than others.


8 posted on 07/02/2009 3:11:50 PM PDT by Diogenesis
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To: Justaham

Economy’s in the tank, unemployment is up, I cancelled my European vacation this summer, but please Congress, by all means, raise my taxes, take my healthcare and have some fun travelling around the world on my dime.


9 posted on 07/02/2009 3:17:28 PM PDT by Sir Clancelot
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To: Diogenesis

great post!!


10 posted on 07/02/2009 3:21:27 PM PDT by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . The boy's war in Detriot has already cost more then the war in Iraq.)
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To: Justaham

The only ones who can clean up the mess in Washington are informed and concerned voters.


11 posted on 07/02/2009 3:55:55 PM PDT by chiefqc
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To: Justaham
I for one would be willing to pick up the tab for any Congressman who wanted to take an extended....very extended vacation. It costs less for the American taxpayer than when they're working.
12 posted on 07/02/2009 4:01:06 PM PDT by Huskrrrr
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To: Justaham

Maybe, if we are lucky, those travel destinations will keep them.


13 posted on 07/02/2009 4:11:15 PM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: Justaham

REPEAL the 17th Amendment and reinstate Article 1 Section 3 of the Constitution.

Congress is supposed to be an UNPAID part time Volunteer position.

Maybe the only way to bring the USofA back to its roots is a coup. How else to remove EVERYONE in the Federal Government and replace them according to the US Constitution?


14 posted on 07/02/2009 4:14:56 PM PDT by HighlyOpinionated (Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann in 2012. With Liz Cheney as Secretary of State.)
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To: Justaham

Maybe they are scouting out “safe havens” somewhere else for when TSHTF!!!

Don’t want to be stuck here with the angry mobs.

Traitors.


15 posted on 07/02/2009 4:18:11 PM PDT by TruthConquers (Delendae sunt publici scholae)
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: HighlyOpinionated
Maybe the only way to bring the USofA back to its roots is a coup. How else to remove EVERYONE in the Federal Government and replace them according to the US Constitution?

I am beginning to think in those terms too. What do we need to do to get more on this bandwagon?

17 posted on 07/02/2009 4:35:39 PM PDT by softengine (Betrayal and Hypocrisy play on both sides of the fence.......but no one will admit it.)
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To: Justaham

Hundreds of lawmakers traveled overseas in 2008 at a cost of about $13 million. That’s a 50% jump since Democrats took control of Congress two years ago.
______________________
PIGS!!!!!!!!!! ALL OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep sending those tax dollars in so they can travel at our expense. This sh*t is out of control. Maybe I just won’t pay my estimated this quarter, or next quarter or the next and tell them to KMA.


18 posted on 07/02/2009 4:37:44 PM PDT by mojitojoe (All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.)
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To: Nachum

BTTT !


19 posted on 07/02/2009 4:59:43 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: Squantos

Thanks for the heads up. Not sure how to tie this to Obama- yet.


20 posted on 07/02/2009 5:07:13 PM PDT by Nachum (The complete Obama list at www.nachumlist.com)
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