A job in Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer?s office could also land you a plane ticket to Switzerland or Israel at the expense of private industries.
“Each fact-finding trip, funded at no cost to the taxpayers, was part of Congressman Hoyer and his staff?s official duty to formulate public policy,” said Tim Schlittner, Hoyer?s Maryland press secretary.
According to data compiled by the Center for Public Integrity, Hoyer sent about a dozen staff members on a variety of privately funded fact-finding missions, conferences and speaking opportunities. Hoyer and his staff accepted $88,635 in privately sponsored travels between January 2000 and June 2005. Trips were sponsored by a series of interest groups and lobbying firms such as American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, American Israel Education Foundation.
Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, recently proposed legislation that would ban many of these trips in light of the recent lobbying scandals, but the bill has stalled in Congress.
Among other destinations, members of the minority whip?s staff traveled to:
» Miami in March 2004 for a meeting with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
» Cleveland in February 2002 to learn about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?s music education program.
» Taiwan, India and Israel in 2004 for fact-finding missions.
The Center for Public Integrity study marked the first time staff travel records were included in an analysis of Congressional travel. Of all the trips included in the study, almost 75 percent of them were taken by staff members. According to Congressional ethics rules, members of Congress may accept privately-funded trips as long as they are related to official Congressional business, but staff travel must be approved in advance.
“One of the interesting things about staff travel is it tends to be just as effective,” said Craig Holman, campaign finance lobbyist for the nonprofit consumer watchdog group Public Citizen. “And staff travel is perhaps even more fruitful. Staff people tend to be younger and more thrilled to go on these trips.”
Hoyer himself remained close to home, traveling twice to Birmingham, Ala., on civil rights pilgrimages. He also took a weeklong trip to Chicago in 2003 to meet with the board of directors of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. That trip included $2,171.50 in transportation costs, though the congressman reported that he stayed with family members rather than in a hotel.
Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste, has called for more transparency and prompt public reporting because many of the expenses and records are incomplete.
For example, Hoyer?s staff declined to comment if the $2,171.50 transportation cost for Hoyer to fly to Chicago accounted for any staff members. In these particular records, Hoyer indicated that he flew by himself compared to other politicians who reported traveling with spouses and staff.
