May 1, 2005

Join The Congress And See The World

Those of us with snow on the roof, remember well the famous U.S. Navy recruiting poster; “Join The Navy And See The World.”

That world cruise cost recruits $42 a month for four years. Been there, done that. Silly me. I should have gotten elected to Congress. Then, I would be paid $158,000 a year (plus expenses) to take free junkets.

Congress is knee-deep in donnybrook over boondoggles.

Ground zero is House Majority Leader Tom Delay – otherwise known as “The Whip.” His job is to run interference for House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert.

The trouble for Dems is that Hastert is – um – very Republican. Delay is – um – very efficient in keeping his party strays in herd.

Together, the GOP leadership has nudged much of President Bush’s requested legislation through the dismal partisanship masquerading as statesmanship these days.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi thought she had nailed Delay to a cross. She alleged that a Washington lobbyist in 1997 arranged a lavish trip for the Whip to a resort hotel in the American Territory Island of Saipan.

Accompanying Delay were his wife, daughter, and several aides for a New Year’s Eve holiday. The announced objective was to inspect a clothing factory providing employment for poor natives.

Democrats contend the garment enterprise is a “sweatshop stealing jobs from Americans.”

The nine-year-old “scandal” was winging its way through the Ethics Committee until nosy reporters began checking travel vouchers of other congressional members.

Voila! Most of Delay’s critics were found to be more suspect than their target. Leading the hit parade was – ready? – Pelosi.

A simple sojourn to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) official web site – PoliticalMoneyLine.com -- discloses that Ms. Pelosi had not reported a $9,087 freebie trip to South Korea three years ago.

Last week, the Legislative Resource Center in the House Office Building – where travel records are filed – was awash with agitated congressmen amending their disclosures.

According to the FEC, 605 members of Congress since January 2000 have taken 5,410 trips worth more than $16 million. Most were privately financed by special-interest groups not required to disclose who pay the bills.

The elections commission says more than half the “private” money comes from non-profit organizations.

Congressional rules permit such travel if the money doesn’t come from a lobbyist or representative of a foreign interest.

The leading junketer is Rep. Harold Ford, Tennessee Democrat, with 61 trips. Tying him for this distinction is recently-retired John Breaux (D-La.)

Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) took the third largest number of trips with 56. He is followed by two other Democrats: Rep. Maxine Waters (Calif.) 52, and Rep. Barney Frank (Mass.) 51.

Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) leads his colleagues in the amount of money spent on his trips -- $167,960.

Other favored recipients of travel goodies are Representatives Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), Gene Green (D-Tex.) and Maurice Hinchey (D-NY.).

Democrat or Republican, trip-takers insist it is important that they travel outside their districts “to get vital information about legislative problems.”

It is just a coincidence that most of these places have nice climates, posh hotels, sandy beaches, free bars and par-80 golf courses.

Let us concede that first-hand facts are more reliable than warmed-over gruel from anonymous sources.

But let us also be realistic about the influence of favors in affecting legislative decisions.

An oft told story in Washington regards a lobbyist who offered a new Cadillac to an influential Senator if he would vote right on a certain bill.

“Certainly not!” huffed the Senator. “That would be bribery.”

“Sorry,” said the lobbyist. “How about if I sell you a new Cadillac for $100?

“In that case,” said the beaming senator, “I will take two.”

Here are some quaint suggestions.

Restrict travel within home districts to the congressional expense allowances authorized by law.

Restrict fact-finding missions elsewhere to a two-person bi-partisan committee team -- with one change of socks -- accompanied only by a C-SPAN cameraman.

Written reports and a video presentation would save everyone’s valuable time for the people’s business.

It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it. As my old granny used to say: “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”

Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at linwms@lindseywilliams.org