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Win a seat in Congress! See the world!
September 23rd, 2009, 5:00 am · 54 Comments · posted by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
Remember the slogan “Join the Army and see the world”? Well, the same can be said for some who gets elected to Congress, especially Rep. Loretta Sanchez.
Out of the six House members who represent Orange County, Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, has taken the most trips paid for by the taxpayers.
Sanchez took 19 trips since November of 2006 for a total of $82,707.40. That compares with:
- six taken by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, for a cost of $72,290.59.
- and one each by Reps. Ken Calvert, $483; Ed Royce, $2,094 and John Campbell, $2,425.
- Rep. Gary Miller never left the country on the public’s dime.
Lawmakers tend to be a great punching bag for those of us in the press and constituents who assume all government spending is wasteful.
Sanchez and Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, both defended their travel, saying it was needed to help them do their jobs. Both sit on committees that involve international relations or the military.
Let me explain how congressional travel works.
CODEL?
There are three ways lawmakers generally take trips. The first is through a so-called CODEL. That’s shorthand for Congressional delegation.
A CODEL is a trip usually organized by the chairman of a committee. He or she gets a group of lawmakers together during a congressional recess for a fact-finding trip to usually a group of countries. More often than not these lawmakers use military transportation.
The second way is for a member going out on his or her own. The trips must still be approved by the committee the lawmaker sits on. But these trips are booked by a member’s office and they fly commercial.
The third way is when a private group pays for a trip. This doesn’t involve any taxpayer funds but lawmakers have to note them on their annual financial disclosure reports. I’ll leave that travel for another post.
Sanchez is the senior woman on the Armed Services Committee, as well as a subcommittee chair and second most senior Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee. Both panels make policy that relates to foreign countries. And that’s why, she says, she has done so much travel.
She’s been to Italy eight times, Germany six times. She’s been to India, Australia, the Mideast, including Jordan and Dubai, and the Far East including Japan. And she’s made several trips to visit the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, usually over the Christmas and New Year holiday.
Sanchez and other lawmakers got criticized for a much-publicized trip to the South Pole and Australia. Her staff pointed out to me that that Sanchez left that January 2009 CODEL before her colleagues went snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. Sanchez said she went on that trip because she expected the vote on a climate change bill and wanted to see the effects of global warming for herself.
“In particular in the last few years I’ve done travel because we’ve been reevaluating and redirecting the whole nuclear armament policy,’’’ said Sanchez, who sits on the strategic forces subcommittee.
Part of what she and her colleagues were doing, she said, is helping pave the way for the changes in our missile defense strategy that President Barack Obama just announced.
“How do you tell the Polish leadership that we’re looking at changing our missile defense policy and you won’t see your missiles on your land any more?” Sanchez said. “You don’t say that to them over the phone.’’
YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT?
In part because Congress has been criticized for what many call junkets, Congressional travel reports are made public so constituents can review them.
Good luck. They don’t make it easy. In order to find a lawmakers’ travel you have to go through every quarterly report from each committee to find the details. In these days of easily searchable data bases on the Internet, you’d think they’d make it easier for us to look. Maybe they’d rather people didn’t see it.
Here is the link to a page on the Clerk of the House’s web site that will take you to the individual reports.
One reason Sanchez may have taken more trips in recent years than her Orange County colleagues is because she’s now in the majority.
When Royce, R-Fullerton, was part of the GOP majority, for example, he chaired the subcommittee on Africa and he went abroad more often as part of that responsibility. Royce’s only trip since 2006 was in June of 2008, when he went to four countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Rohrabacher, who is famous for his interest in international affairs, has curtailed his travel in recent years. Since 2006 he’s been to Germany and Russia several times, Japan and such Mideast countries as Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain and Qatar.
“The last trip I took to Vienna for a few days was so I cold basically get updated on all the significant information from UN agencies dealing with nuclear materials and arms control,’’ said Rohrabacher. “I would prefer staying at home and going to the beach with my children,’’ said the father of triplets.
More than most members, Rohrabacher’s travels tend to be independent trips, not the well organized CODELs. Because of that, his trips become more expensive because he often takes commercial flights. So Rohrabacher’s six trips cost almost as much as Sanchez’s 19.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH PRICELINE?
I asked t he lawmakers’ staffs how they pick the hotels, flights, etc. that end up costing thousands every time their bosses travel.
Turns out there are per diems set for each country, set by the state department. The per diem for Russia, for example, now runs about $400 a day. That includes hotels, meals and any other expenses.
Sanchez’s staff explained that her flights often are more expensive than we’d expect to get online because they book her Travel via the government business rate, which allows changes to her itinerary at a moment’s notice, without paying a penalty.
It’s not unusual for a member to have a trip booked on the day the House is scheduled to go out on recess, only to have the session extended for a particular vote.
Member trips also have to be authorized by the committees’ they sit on.
Most often, those approvals are done less than a month before the trip is scheduled, and that also makes it more difficult to get good fares, staff members say.
Campbell’s only trip since he got to Congress was to Italy in November of 2008. He flew with other lawmakers on military transport.
Calvert spent the least on trips (with the exception of Miller, who didn’t take any). Calvert went on a military trip to Iraq and Germany for four days, for a total of $483.
I asked Miller’s office why their boss hadn’t done any traveling. Basically, the Diamond Bar Republican would rather spend time in the district with his family and constituents, his staff said.
Miller, who is the senior Republican on the Subcommittee on international monetary policy, was scheduled to go to Europe in August, but cancelled the trip in favor of holding district town halls on health care reform.
More stories on federal spending:
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Now why would Loretta Sanchez have to travel to, let’s say, Italy EIGHT TIMES! I didn’t realize that there was an international crisis occurring in ITALY, a favorite tourist site for rich americans! hah! Don’t we have enough problems in AMERICA for these dolts to solve instead of traveling the world on the TAXPAYER’S DIME???? Sanchez is up for reelection soon. This stuff needs to be front and center during the election season. She thinks she’s a queen with unlimited access to the public treasure for her personal wanderlust desires! THROW THE CON ARTIST OUT OF OFFICE!
Hey, now, OCO. Be fair.
I don’t mind paying for her to travel to all these places. I just mind paying for her to come back!
Hahaha! My sentiments exactly…
Did you all know that she rents a villa and invites her whole family!!!
Good piece, Dena. You should also look at another aspect of her travel–her use of official travel for romantic vacations with one of her official military escorts (that might explain Italy). That was part of the scandal that brought down Rep. Vito Fossella last year (google that guy), and many sources have accused Loretta of the same thing. (See “The Making of the Loretta Sanchez Scandal” over at Latinopoliticsblog–very detailed facts are alleged.) Would you at least investigate that, as our watchdog? Her constituents want to know as they evaluate her fitness for reelection. Thank you.
are you saying our loretta is a loose woman?
God forbid! I would never accuse Loretta of being a “loose woman.” I merely asked our intrepid reporter to investigate allegations that she abused government travel to pursue one or more illicit affairs with married military men who were assigned to escort her by the Pentagon escort service.
“Sanchez said she went on that trip because she expected the vote on a climate change bill and wanted to see the effects of global warming for herself.”
Cmon Loretta, you can see it on PBS for free.
“How do you tell the Polish leadership that we’re looking at changing our missile defense policy and you won’t see your missiles on your land any more?” Sanchez said. “You don’t say that to them over the phone.’’
Loretta, that is a job for the State Department. We have embassies and diplomats there. They don’t need your help. If we want to show high-level concern, send Hillary, not some frivolous Rep. from SoCal.
I’d have to see the travel records of the other members of the same committees before I judge her travel record. I also find it interesting that Rohrabacher spent nearly as much ($72K) as Sanchez ($82K) on 6 trips vs. her 19 trips. Flying 1st class perhaps?
And in all fairness, we’re so financially and diplomatically intertwined with other countries these days that I don’t see how we could eliminate all travel outside the US. But I’m for more accountability and IMO they all need to scale back these days.
Hummm… if you compare Rohrabacher and Sanchez, she averaged $4,353 per trip while he averaged $12,048 per trip.
If people really want reform they need to focus on BOTH parties, not just the Dems. Otherwise it’s just more partisan bashing with no real intent to reform.
Sonchez?!
E Doe Nee No Stee King Sonchez!
Sanchez, CORRUPTION YOU CAN BELIEVE IN — TOSS HER IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
very tired of this woman and her “privileges”… all on our dime, of course. she’s a wannabe Nancy Pelosi, who really deserves NOTHING because she’s never done a darn thing!!
Just out of curiousity, what about Rohrabacher spending almost as much on his 6 trips as Sanchez did on 19 trips? I see nothing but vitriol concerning the Democrat; does the Republican get a free pass?
If so, then we’re just talking partisan politics rather than a call for real reform.
Wow, it sure must be great to be able to vacation on the public funds. What a crook.
I wish I could get a job where I really don’t do anything and get to spend money that isn’t mine, travel anywhere.
Every time I call her office and enquire on this subject, I am told I “do not have the facts” and am hung up on.
She is as dumb and clueless as her sister. Let’s see if she can win this next election bid without Nativo Lopez and ACORN getting her illegal alien votes.
Would anyone expect anything diferent from a Latino? This gal is the most racial of any elected official in our history. However, her parnter’s in crime (constituants) will re-elect her forever.
Let’s vote the bum out of office. Also, this poster is a long time resident of San Jose, CA - where the honorable mayor of San Jose Ron Gonzales was kicked out of office a few years ago for taking bribes and other illegal activities - is there a pattern here?
Is there really any surprise here, I mean she’s a POLITICIAN for crying out loud. They can do anything, anytime, anyway they see fit. They are above us all and shove our noses in it everyday and all we can do is write our frustrations out in an OCR blog. I guess one course of action is that we can vote her out and put another slime ball politician in her place and go through the same routine one more time. We’ve been lied too, duped, robbed blind, misrepresented, and screwed in the gazzzoo so many times we’re all numb to it… just the way they like it all by design my friends.
I would prefer that she does her traveling while Congress is in session, not during the breaks.
If Sanchez really thought it was so important to travel to those places, that’s fine.
For just a few bucks, she can catch a hop on the next military airlifter headed in that direction. But I know, flying in a C-17 isn’t the same as first class on Air Italia. Buck up little chickie pooh.
I know where I’d like to send sanchez..
I hate to shock anyone, but this has been going on since the Vietnam war when I met congressman and their dizzy blond aids flying in on fact find missions. Most of the time they were their just long enough to get some pictures of them with some generals and spend the rest of the time in Japan, Hawaii or Australia. A lot of them didn’t even know about the Ho Che-Minh trail and I’m not kidding.
Its obvious that most of Sanchez’s trips are junkets. She likes to study global warming in areas that just happen to be top vacation spots in the world such as Italy and Australia at the Great Barrier Reef. I wonder if she would be interested in touring the South Pole. Alterego, your right. Poland and places like that are the jobs of our embassies, State Department and diplomats, but she does get see the info if she is on certain committees, unfortunately. She also believes Fidel Castro is a hero.
Accusing her of wrong-doing is a waste of time. The best thing she does is making excuses.
PARTY GIRL WHEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not only is she the Biggest Travler…
That Dirty Sanchez!
“Sanchez said she went on that trip because she expected the vote on a climate change bill and wanted to see the effects of global warming for herself.”
So Sanchez hops on an airplane to see the effects of Global warming for herself? She could have seen the effects just by watching Al Gore’s documentary, rather than burn airplane fuel, which contributes to global warming.
Come on don’t you know Once you get Elected..
IT’S ONE BIG PARTY and the TAX PAYERS PAY FOR IT…
This is CRAZY !!!
Doing the Work for the people who Voted for her… GOOD JOB….
I hope that ALL who voted for her are proud as can be. Frivolous travelling and spending. Wonder why we are in a financial mess? Good going OC Dems!! A PELOSI in training…..
yes yes. blame it on the dems. give me a break. did you even read the article and the other comments posted? Of course you said nothing about Dana rohrabacher, who is a republican. Stop being so narrow-minded. This is an issue that involves ALL parties. Grow up and stop picking fights with people who arent the all mighty republicans.
This is just plain political corruption.
Now why would a house representative from Santa Ana need to travel that much?
Also, Dana Rohrabacher taking six trips at $72,290.59?
I think both these so called representatives need to be impeached.
Man I am in the wrong business………….
At what point do they invoke the law that states: “Using an elected political office to enrichen oneself is a violation of penel code XXXX”
So many restaurants, so much time…all on a taxpayers dime.
It is time for Loretta to go. People in her district need to wake up and vote for a new rep.
Loretta you always claim it is for the good of the American People …. bunch of “BS”.
You are an embarrassment to the fine people in your district.
She is a PIG!!!
She ought to be flying with our military troops. Cheaper airfare, you’ve got more bodily protection than you could imagine, and if she’s feeling really daring, they can happily airdrop her carcass close to her meeting place, saving on ground transportation and hotels.
If a C-17 is good enough for our troops, it’s good enough for her spoiled @ss.
Check out Quang Pham for Congress who is running against Sanchez. http://www.phamforcongress.com.
Arthur Frommer needs to update his title to : “Europe on $500 a day”
Loretta,
Make your next Christmas card a photo of you riding an @$$ out of town !
Funny thing, when the LA Times had this story more than a week ago they pointed out that Sanchez had spent more on taxpayer-funded trips than any other member of the California congressional delegation (53 House members and two senators). The OCR version makes it look like she just spent more than the other five OC House members.
Also, the Times mentioned that a Sanchez commercial flight from Australia to Britain cost more than $8,000, which isn’t even mentioned in the Register piece.
I saw L. Sanchez and her sister on Chapman U’s Jim Doti’s Sunday TV show pushing their book. Her facial features and mannerisms remind me of classic alcoholics I’ve known in the past. Looks are deceiving but it certainly caught my eye. I wonder?
Wow, who would have ever thought she’d be sponging off the tax payers and seeing the world on our dime?
Kinda of ironic, ain’t it?
Speaking of wastefulness, the Register should get rid of Bunis the leftwinger. Bunis has bought into the liberalism of Washington, D.C. where she now lives.
I bet Sanchez knows how to party behind closed doors. “Aye popi!”
I am surprised that Loretta has not traveled to Mexico to pad her voting base for the next election. As ACORN has demonstrated, you don’t have to even live here anymore to vote.
Alan–You did not like the wonderful eulogy Ms Bunis did for Ted Kennedy, the father of our overpopulation?
FTA: Member trips also have to be authorized by the committees’ they sit on.
Their committees’ what? I’m all agog to find out.
Apostrophes aren’t buckshot, you don’t just fire them at a sentence and print them where they lodge.
Ms. Sanchez you have just won a trip for you and your friends to Italy at one of Romes 5 star hotels and all expenses are covered. When you arrive have lunch at our elegant restaurant, a personal chef will be assigned to you and your friends for the best foods available. Later come to our pool and meet Roberto, he will give you a first class message that’s guaranteed to relax you from all your problems and that long first class plane flight, while enjoying our top vintage wines. The next day you will be escorted to the Via Roma, a 90 foot yacht, with helicopter and two side boats, so you can study global warming Italian style.
Now you ask how much will this cost. Its completely free, just charge it to the tax payers. Remember your a Congresswoman.
Let’s do America a kindness and buy her one last ticket. One way — to Cuba. There she can learn about the glories of that charming system first hand.
This woman has been a piece of work through and through…they need to find someone in the district to unseat this carpetbagger….democrat or republican
Did she take her overfed cat along with her on the trip?This is also the first honest story I have ever read by Ms Bunis.
Sanchez is sickening.