NATION AND WORLD
University Daily Kansan, February 6, 1984
Page 10
Official globetrotting can be lavish
By GREGORY GORDON United Press International
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a series of reports investigating overseas travel made by members of Congress.
WASHINGTON — Rep. Robert Badham, R-Calif., didn't go around the world in 80 days. He took longer, and taxpayers probably would have preferred a balloon to his costly military flights.
During an 11-month stretch ending in October, Baden sapten had at least 82 days.
FIGURING CONSERVATIVELY, his share of the government-financed travel exceeded $90,000, including flight costs, meals, lodging and lavish services from host embassies and military members with twin friends in Congress for the Pentagon.
October, blundham spent at least 32 days — nearly three months — joining eight delegations for journeys on Air Force planes to 24 countries. His wife flee free. On 12 days while Badham was abroad as Congress' leading globetrotter, he missed roll call votes on Capitol Hill.
Badham, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, is hardly the only member of Congress whose interests in distant lands are draining the treasury.
In a four-month investigation, United Press International and the non-profit Better Government Association traced $15 million in unreported costs and a $20 million in excesses by congressmen living like royalty, far from public scrutiny.
Much congressional travel is worthwhile, but expenditures are hidden and uncontrolled. The budget — set by Congress' own 1978 legislation — is permanent and limitless. It is supplemented by a Pentagon "black bag" fund of nearly $1 million to wine and beer stores. It also includes millions of dollars in support services from the Defense Department and U.S. embassies.
HOUSE AND SENATE committees listed foreign travel costs of $5.9 million on disclosure staten ents filed for fiscal year 1983.
UPI and the BGA, after a month-long Freedom of information fight that resulted in a suit against the Air Force, documented that taxpayers footed a bill of at least $21.6 million as members of Congress flitted the globe.
UPI and the BGA found at least 357 taxpayer-financed trips to 85 countries and Antarctica — by 73 senators, 236 House members, and more than 1,300 aides, spouses and accompanying agency officials in fiscal 1983.
Besides frittering big dollars for chauffered cars, for dining in some of Europe's most sumptuous restaurants and for slipping away to resorts,
members of Congress squandered vast sums through carefree use of military aircraft.
ITEM: On a Banking Committee trip to the Far East in August, Sens. Jake Garn, R-Utah, Paula Hawkins, R-Fla, and Frank Lutenberg, D-N.J., filled a spiffy converted Air Force 707 with their spouses, Garn's secretary, Secretary of the Senate William Hill, then Senator Bob McLeary, then-Senate, Sergeant-at-Arms, Love Liebengood, three staffers and four military escorts.
The three senators could have flown first class on commercial flights for less than $30,000. Instead, it cost $244,103 to carry the entire group to Japan, Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong aboard the Air Force's Special Air Mission plane. Total cost of the flight was about $65,000 on file with Hildenbrand's office, which collects disclosure reports on such costs.
ITEM: In January 1983, Peter Rodino, D-N-1, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, led a mostly Italian delegation including his son, Peter Rodino III, Reps. Frank Annunzio, D-III, Romano Mazzoli, D-Ky, and Hamilton Fish, R-N-Y, to italy for 13 days, and Austria for 2 days. An aide said they looked into international "refuge matters," in Rome, and damage from Italy's earthquake. But the trip to the fatherland also included stops in Palermo, Florence, Siena, Venice and Trieste. Rodino and colleagues reported military airfare costs as $23,720, but the actual price of transporting the four House members and three aides was $112,348.
ITEM: Rep. Joseph Addabbo, D-N.Y., twice led delegations from his House appropriations subcommittee to China in 1983, at a cost of about $600,000. In recent weeks, Addabbo also went to the Far East. Rep. Melvin Price. D-III, visited China twice in fiscal 1983, once with Mr. Sullivan and twice to O'Neill, D-Mass, on a journey that cost $360,268, then leading his own delegation at a cost of $222,794.
ITEM: In September, Rep. Dante Fascell, D-Fla., headed a special House commission on a trip to Spain. Demands on the 17-plane fleet of the Air Force's 89th Airwing were so great the C-137 jet was summoned back to Washington the day after departure. A C-137 then returned to Spain to fetch the delegation. Cost of what was just a trans-Antlantic trip: $175,000.
Hawkins wound up a five-country, globe-inclining inquiry into drug trafficking with her third stop in 13 months in Hong Kong, which foreign service officers disagrees call a "shop op" - shopping opportunity. Although Hong Kong is a British Crown Colony that makes no foreign policy, 62 members of Congress and 51 staffers got a chance in fiscal year 1983 to buy at bargain prices
MOST CONGRESSMEN interviewed about overseas travel staminah defend it as the best way to monitor U.S. expenditures and policies worldwide.
its fine, tailor-made clothing.
"I feel that the real problem," said Maxwell Rabb, U.S. ambassador to Italy, "is a complete misunderstanding of the nature of congressional visits because they (congressmen) operate under a tremendous and unfair handlime." The word jacket, junker a hate word that colors the business they perform."
Badham, a politically secure conservative, said of his frequent travels, which include a trip to the Paris Air Show. "So what? Somebody is going to hate them? Otherwise. My constituents must approve of the way I conduct my office."
NEARLY EVERY Eury and Senate member polled by UPI and the BGA agreed there were numerous abuses time for new disclosure requirements.
Sifting through thousands of vouchers — some in foreign languages — UPI and the BGA found examples of wasteful spending on nearly every trip:
- Once overseas, House and Senate members commonly are greeted by chauffeur cars. Many rent cars and drivers, even in cities with excellent taxi systems. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Uttah, spent $446 over two days in June renting a Cadillac with driver in Geneva, Switzerland.
- On commercial flights, members of Congress frequently go first class, even if the air fare is quadruple that of economy class. One source said the House Energy and Commerce Committee has an unwritten rule requiring first-class travel so no one gets singled out in the news media.
- Trips often are punctuated with sightseeing. On the excursion to Egypt last February, the Smith delegation, including Badham, took time out for a $4,043 tour of pyramids at Luxor. Contrary to State department guide Pete Paulsen's Palm Beach committee delegation to Germany in November chartered a bus for $174 for a "ladies' program" for members' wives.
- Embassies set up costly hotel control rooms and Pentagon escorts, who fill the belies of military aircraft with up to a truckload of top-of-the-line liquor, man a "control room" bar from dawn until midnight. On a trip to Italy and the Middle East last February, a delegation led by Rep. Neal Smith, D-Iowa, charged $5,002 for "control rooms" at just four stops.
Most symbolic of congressmen living the high-life overseas is the biannual exodus to the Paris Air Show. One source said defense contractors wired members to such extent at the 1838 show and called it "giving." Next: Living It Up in Gay Paxes
Cost of Congressional Foreign Travel for Fiscal 1983
Unlimited congressional travel fund (includes commercial
airfares, rental cars, hospitality套房, overtime, etc.) $4,577,593*
airfares, rental cars, hospitality suites, overtime, etc.)
Military aircraft for 95 congressional trips $7,494,828
Military aircraft parts (estimated)* $876,000
Pay for 89th Airing personnel (estimate) $2,280,000
Foreign service officers (estimated) $4,500,000
Pentagon escorts' expenditures on congressional travelers $903,970
Military escort officers' per diem (estimate) $600,000
Flight crew per diem while overseas (estimate) $260,000
Senate congressional travel office (estimate based on three salaries, office expenses) $100,000
Congressional travel office, State Department (estimate based on two salaries, office expenses) $50,000
Senate contingency fund $25,820
Travel from Senate Committee budgets $8,547
Coast Guard trip to Haiti (estimate) $1,500
TOTAL $21,67
Some costs are estimated, conservatively, because reco-
are unavailable.
Figures do not include some short military flights, embassy receptions, and some other costs
Source: United Press International and the Better Government Association
Congress' leading travelers
House
Rep. Robert Badham
Rep. Kika de la Garza D-Texas
Rep. Melvin Price
7 trips, 82 days, 24 countries.
Rep. Stephen Solarz
4 trips, 41 days, 16 countries.
7 trips, 32 days,12 countries.
Rep. Gerald Solomon B.N.Y.
3 trips. 37 days, 17 countries.
Rep. William Dickinson R-Ala.
4 trips, 32 days, 15 countries.
Senate (no dates are required on Senate disclosure forms)
Sen. Orrin Hatch
R-Utah
5 trips, 21 countries.
Sen. Charles Mathias R-Md.
Sen. Claiborne Pell D-R.I.
Sen. John Tower
5 trips, 5 countries.
4 trips, 6 countries.
3 trips, 6 countries.
The Travels of Rep. Robert Badham November 12,1982 to October 11,1983
MALAYSIA
SRI LANKA
THAILAND(2)
PHILIPPINES
KOREA
CHINA
THE CASTLE
TEA ROOM
1307 Mass. phone 843-1151
AUSTRALIA
NEW ZEALAND AUSTRALIA
RENTAL
rates as low as $9.95 per day
AMERICAN
842-8187
credit cards not required
***
Source: United Press International
30% Off
Selected Newly Reduced Groups
- Sportswear
- Dresses
- New Reductions on Fall and Holiday
- Sportswear
- Dresses
60% and
75% Off
Remaining Discontinued * Bras
Buy 2 at 1/2 price get 3rd Bra Free.
STUDENT SENATE TRANSPORTATION BOARD is now accepting applications for NEW BOARD members.
Individuals interested in becoming involved with the management of the KU bus and handicap transportation system should apply at the Student Senate Office.
Funded by Student Senate
ARBUTHNOT'S
Southwest Plaza 23 $ ^{\text{rd}} $ & Iowa
Hallmark