Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

'Serpent Pastor' Dies of Snake Bite Mack Wolford believed faith compelled him to face the risk »

Congress Hands Taxpayers Hefty Travel Tab

Jaunts to Paris, Kabul cost $13M last year, 10 times 1995 figure

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 2, 2009 7:10 AM CDT

(Newser) – Spending by Congress on taxpayer-funded trips overseas is nearly ten times what it was in 1995 and triple the amount spent in 2001, the Wall Street Journal finds in an analysis of some 60,000 travel records. Last year, hundreds of members of Congress went... Read full story »

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!

4 comments

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

What's Popular Now on Facebook

'Serpent Pastor' Dies of Snake Bite

Miami Face-Eater Identified

Wall Street Journal (Source Grid »)

Politics • US

Congress • Travel • spending • overseas

More Newser Stories

Congressmen Studied Climate Change—on $500K Trip

Lawmakers snorkeled, visited South Pole

(NEWSER) - Snorkeling, scuba diving, and penguin-watching were on the agenda when 10 members of Congress went on an 11-day trip to study climate change in early 2008, a Wall Street Journal investigation finds. Lawmakers from both parties, along with six spouses, visited New Zealand, Antarctica, and Australia's Great Barrier Reef on the trip, which, to some, sounds suspiciously like a jaunt to tourist hot spots. More»

US May Lift Ban on HIV-Positive Travelers

CDC wants to end 'stigma,' but 22-year-old rule has some support

(NEWSER) - The CDC is considering ending the rule forbidding HIV-positive foreigners from entering the US, MSNBC reports. Congress voted last year to dump 1987 restrictions on entry to those with the condition, but the exclusion policy will remain in place until the department of health and human services lifts it. “We’re trying to end the stigma and the discriminatory practice for a disease that doesn’t warrant exclusion,” says a CDC official. More»

Congress Speaks Like a Bunch of 10th-Graders

It's dropped a grade since 2005: analysis

(NEWSER) - Didn't do so great on that last vocabulary test? That's OK, there's a place in Congress for you. The current class of congressmembers speaks at a 10.6 grade level—down almost a full grade from 2005's 11.5 grade level on the Flesch-Kincaid scale. According to a political scientist at the Sunlight Foundation, the open government group that ran the numbers, one reason for the decline is the influx of new members who were elected in 2010, many of them with Tea Party support. "Particularly among the newest members of Congress, as you move out from the center and toward either end of the political spectrum, the grade level goes down, and that pattern is particularly pronounced on the right," he says. In easier-to-understand terms: All of the 10 members who speak at the lowest grade levels are Republicans, and nearly all are freshmen. More»

Right-Wing Super PACs Outspending Liberals 4-1

They're playing big role in congressional races

(NEWSER) - Super PACs aren't just reshaping the presidential race , they are also transforming congressional campaigns. And in those races, conservative interest groups are outspending their liberal rivals by a four-to-one margin, reports the Washington Post . So far, conservative groups have plowed $20 million into House and Senate races, and with spending more than double what it was at this point in 2008, observers say money will be more vital than ever in determining who controls the Congress next year. More»

Maybe It's Time to See Scenic, Broke Greece

If it leaves the eurozone, it'll be a real bargain, experts say

(NEWSER) - These days you probably think of Greece as the place threatening to set the euro on fire. It's easy to forget that it's also a pretty beautiful tourist destination, loaded with ancient ruins and sunny beaches—and soon, NPR points out, it could be a pretty cheap destination, too. If Greece leaves the euro, the value of its currency would plummet between 30% and 50%, analysts predict. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Congress Hands Taxpayers Hefty Travel Tab

Jaunts to Paris, Kabul cost $13M last year, 10 times 1995 figure

Congress • Travel • spending • overseas

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Congressmen Studied Climate Change—on $500K Trip

Lawmakers snorkeled, visited South Pole

US May Lift Ban on HIV-Positive Travelers

CDC wants to end 'stigma,' but 22-year-old rule has some support

Congress Speaks Like a Bunch of 10th-Graders

It's dropped a grade since 2005: analysis

Right-Wing Super PACs Outspending Liberals 4-1

They're playing big role in congressional races

Maybe It's Time to See Scenic, Broke Greece

If it leaves the eurozone, it'll be a real bargain, experts say

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?