Topline: An all-expenses paid trip to the Galapagos Islands probably sounds like a dream come true to most Americans, albeit an unrealistic one.
Yet that’s exactly what five members of the House of Representatives enjoyed in June 2008, leaving taxpayers with the $22,000 bill for meals and hotels — $31,100 in 2024 dollars.
That’s according to the “Wastebook” reporting published by the late U.S. Senator Dr. Tom Coburn. For years, these reports shined a white-hot spotlight on federal frauds and taxpayer abuses.
Coburn, the late U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, earned the nickname "Dr. No" by stopping thousands of pork-barrel projects using the Senate rules. Projects that he couldn't stop, Coburn included in his oversight reports.
Coburn's Wastebook 2008 included 65 examples of outrageous spending worth more than $1.3 billion, including the $22,000 in exotic travel spending.
Key facts: An Inside Edition report about the trip claimed the Congressmen were “treated like royalty” by staff who “met their every need.” Lawmakers indulged in fresh sushi and wine at the Red Mangrove Aventura Lodge, one of the most expensive resorts on the island.
The trip was approved so lawmakers could see how National Science Foundation funds were being used to study climate change and El Nino weather patterns. It was funded by the Congressional Science Committee.
Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) justified the excursion by claiming he needed to see how tax dollars were being spent at a tsunami warning center on the islands. The only problem: the Galapagos Islands did not actually have a tsunami center, Inside Edition found.
Baird admitted that the trip was “sort of a vacation, sort of work. Not a bad place to do both.”
Inside Edition’s hidden cameras also showed the Congressmen taking time for some cycling and shopping during work hours.
One member of the group, Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-OR), certainly didn’t need to conduct any research to inform policy making. She had already resigned from the Congressional Science Committee and was not running for reelection once her term ended a few months later.
Taxpayers spent $13 million for hundreds of overseas Congressional trips in 2008. That’s $18.4 million in 2024 dollars.
Supporting quote: Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) said the media made the trip seem more luxurious than it was.
“It’s been fascinating. I’ve watched the clip and I was amazed. It’s like campaigning. You find things out about yourself you never knew before. I didn’t know how good the trip was until I saw the TV clip,” he said.
Summary: While Congressional trips are not inherently wasteful, it’s clear that this time Congressional funds could have been spent on initiatives that would have more directly benefited the public.
The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com
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