Can't afford a vacation? Your representatives in DC can! Using your money, too...

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

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.

The congressional delegation trips, known as CODELs, are paid for by taxpayers.

[...]

Thompson’s office said he toured the Caribbean because he now chairs the Homeland Security Committee and wanted to see vacation hot spots to “examine border security and port security.” Three other members of the delegation also brought along their spouses.

“They are going from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. everyday,” a committee spokeswoman told The Examiner. “They do not have down time.”

At the Caneel Bay resort, where room rates reach $1,100 per night, the spokeswoman said Thompson and his wife paid the “government rate.” But, according to the reservations department, Caneel Bay doesn’t “offer any government rates.”

After Caneel Bay, the group headed to Key West, Fla., for a “classified briefing on inter-jurisdictional agency task forces,” a Thompson spokeswoman said.

The Caribbean trip led by Engel, who is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, explored the “best practices for emergency disaster relief” and energy policy, according to his office.

Traveling with Engel and his wife were Reps. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Tex., and Barbara Lee, D-Calif. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who went to Belgium in a delegation led by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., earlier in the week, also joined Engel’s Caribbean trip. She brought her husband with her.

http://www.examiner.com/a-675671~Congressi...g_up_steam.html

[mRx 16]

examining border security in the caribbean. I assume they were undercover as well right? Swim trunks and pina coladas.

good find Gupt.

[Robor007 0]

It's sickening to see how our tax dollars are put to 'work' sometimes. Hopefully these people have short political careers. Unfortunately, they'd probably be replaced with more of the same.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Per Diem

Anyone ever get that for traveling on the road away from home? I do. Congress changed the law saying if you stayed in one place for than 1 year you were not eligible for per diem. Many companies get around this by taxing it giving you a raise. Congress still gets it untaxed because they wrote the law. Real nice. I wish I could vote for my own raises.

For Washington DC the rate is $226 to $259. That's per day, 7 days a week and non-taxable. You don't have to submit receipts if you stay under that amount (some companies may require receipts but that's specific to company policy).

What's a congressman make per year? Multiply the number of days he maintains a home in DC by the number above and add it to the salary.

Washington DC per diem

domestic Per Diem rates

[almaty 19]

terrible waste of $$$,,,,those chopf##ks

[Saddle Bronc 124]

It's sickening to see how our tax dollars are put to 'work' sometimes. Hopefully these people have short political careers. Unfortunately, they'd probably be replaced with more of the same.

<sigh> "Out with the old, in with the old".

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Q: 'W', Cheney, and Pelosi are in a leaky boat at Point Nemo (2,688 km from three nearest landpoints) and the boat sinks; who is saved?

A: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!

[Alex+R 0]

I like this subject because it can bring us all together.

[eric&gen 0]

What a waste of money they should give us some so we can have a vacation lol. It will never happened lol