Minnesota Congressional Delegation / Lawmakers trim privately paid travel
02/23/2007
WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of the Minnesota congressional delegation scaled back their privately funded travel last year, following the bad publicity such trips generated after the Jack Abramoff scandal.
Only five of the 10 members went on privately funded trips in 2006, compared with eight the year before, congressional travel records reviewed by the Associated Press show. Just one member — Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson — took more of those trips in 2006 than in 2005. Peterson, the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said his pace increased so he could meet with groups in preparation of a new farm bill.
No Minnesota lawmaker curbed travel as much as Sen. Norm Coleman, a Republican who took three privately funded trips last year, down from a dozen the year before.
Trips paid for by private groups came under heavy criticism after the travel and lobbying scandals associated with Abramoff, a lobbyist who arranged for golfing trips in Scotland for former House Republican leader Tom DeLay, Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, and others.
Abramoff pleaded guilty to public corruption charges for seeking to buy influence in Congress.
Norm Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said there was a drop-off in privately funded travel throughout Congress.
He called the Abramoff scandal a "wake-up call" to members of Congress.
"People began to look much more carefully at potential privately funded travel, as something that could embarrass them or create a problem, and they cut back," he said.
This year, the Democratic-controlled Congress has moved to restrict travel funded by lobbyists and their employers.
Last year, Peterson took four privately funded trips, sponsored by the American Sugar Alliance, the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, Pheasants Forever and the National Farmers Union. That's up from three the year before.
Peterson, who was ranking Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee last year, said the trips allowed him to get input on a new farm bill. He said he can't use committee money to pay for a domestic trip unless it involves a hearing.
"I think it's kind of crazy that they don't allow the chairman and ranking member to go and talk to these groups and pay for it out of committee money," said Peterson, adding he may take the issue up with leadership. "I'm one of those who believes if a trip is worth making, the government should pay for it. That way, you don't have any conflict of interest."
Peterson said he has received 100 or so requests this year and expects to take about 15 privately funded trips this year.
"Once the farm bill is done, I can tell you I'm going to be cutting way back. It's not like I'm looking for opportunities," he said with a laugh. "I'd just as soon not have to do this. I just think it's something that's required right now. But this is not particularly fun."
Peterson said he thinks the House overreacted when it restricted travel paid for by lobbyists and their employers.
"You had three or four people who clearly broke the rules, and just shutting down everything because of that — it is an overreaction," he said.
As to the argument that privately funded trips allow industries to curry favor with powerful lawmakers, Peterson responded, "I don't agree with that. Generally, I'll spend my time with the farmers, not the lobbyists. A lot of them don't ever get to Washington. You don't get a chance to get them all in one place, unless they have these conventions."
Coleman's three trips, meanwhile, were sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute, the Republican Jewish Coalition and the Hudson Institute.
"When the senator first came to office, he was very much in demand for obvious reasons," said Coleman spokesman Tom Steward, referring to Coleman's 2002 victory over former Vice President Walter Mondale, which helped tip control of the Senate to Republicans. "There's been a pretty steady decline overall since then."
In 2003, his first year in the Senate, Coleman took 16 privately funded trips, followed by 13 in 2004 and 12 in 2005. Coleman lists his trips on his Web site.
But Steward added that Coleman's reduced pace was part of a trend of members of Congress curtailing privately funded trips.
"There was an overall drop in the number of members taking trips, and that's reflected in Senator Coleman's travels as well," he said. "People were stepping back and making sure that they were doing the right thing."
Delegation's Travels
Travel by members of the Minnesota congressional delegation last year funded by outside groups:
Rep. Collin Peterson, Democrat
• Trip: Jan. 11-13, Stuttgart, Ark.
Sponsor: Pheasants Forever
Purpose: Fact-finding; federal conservation and policies
Costs: $200 lodging; $100 meals; $300 guides and field visits (transportation was at own expense)
• Trip: Jan. 27-30, Long Beach, Calif.
Sponsor: American Sugarbeet Growers Association
Purpose: Speech/panel/meet with growers and constituents
Costs: $874 transportation; $189 lodging; $120 meals
• Trip: March 4-5, Denver
Sponsor: National Farmers Union
Purpose: Panel participation on farm issues, trade
Costs: $955 transportation; $97 lodging; $84 meals
• Trip: Aug. 7-9, Asheville, N.C.
Sponsor: American Sugar Alliance
Purpose: Speech, panel
Costs: $1,344 transportation; $539 lodging; $60 meals; $107 car rental, gas
Sen. Norm Coleman, Republican
• Trip: June 15-18, Beaver Creek, Colo.
Sponsor: American Enterprise Institute
Purpose: Participate in AEI's 2006 World Forum panel discussions
Costs: $1,350 transportation; $555 lodging; $405 meals
• Trip: July 9-10, Los Angeles
Sponsor: Republican Jewish Coalition
Purpose: Keynote speech
Costs: $1,131 transportation; $491 lodging; $66 meals
• Trip: Sept. 11, New York City
Sponsor: Hudson Institute
Purpose: Speech on the future of the United Nations
Costs: $1,044 transportation
Rep. John Kline, Republican
• Trip: Jan. 30-31, Baltimore
Sponsor: Heritage Foundation
Purpose: Educational meetings
Costs: $75 transportation; $203 lodging; $129 meals; $33 briefing materials
Rep. Jim Oberstar, Democrat
• Trip: June 23-26, San Jose, Calif., with wife (one day at personal expense)
Sponsor: Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University
Purpose: Keynote speech
Costs: $1,284 transportation; $221 lodging; $131 meals
Former Rep. Martin Sabo, Democrat
• Trip: Jan. 6-12, Kona, Hawaii, with wife (one day at personal expense)
Sponsor: American Association of Airport Executives
Purpose: 2006 Aviation Issues Conference
Costs: $8,000 transportation; $1,075 lodging; $1,250 meals
None: Rep. Betty McCollum, Democrat; Rep. Jim Ramstad, Republican; former Rep. Gil Gutknecht, Republican; former Rep. Mark Kennedy, Republican; former Sen. Mark Dayton, Democrat