Congressmen Flake and Lungren to Introduce Bill to Make Congressional Travel Transparent

Congressmen Flake and Lungren to Introduce Bill to Make Congressional Travel Transparent

Outright Ban of Private Travel is Ill-Advised

Washington, D.C. - Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona's Sixth District, along with Republican Congressman Dan Lungren of California today announced plans to introduce legislation permitting pre-approved privately financed congressional travel.

The Flake-Lungren bill would establish a pre-approval process for privately financed congressional travel and require that travel records for Members of Congress and staff be available online.

"A blindly inflexible ban on privately financed travel is a clear example of Congress throwing the baby out with the bathwater."

"There are reasonable, less draconian solutions to the current problems, and we owe it to the American people to explore those options. Full and timely disclosure of all facts concerning any privately sponsored trips would allow our constituents the information they need to make judgment about Members of Congress."

"It would be detrimental to Congress, educational and charitable programs, non-profit organizations, and taxpayers who would otherwise foot the bill for congressional travel to completely ban privately financed travel."

"Current proposals placing total control of all privately funded travel with the House Leadership would further concentrate their influence and power. Banning all privately financed travel has a number of negative unintended consequences and is not in the interest of anybody but the Leadership," said Flake and Lungren in a joint statement.

Congressmen Flake and Lungren plan to introduce free-standing legislation this week, but may offer the bill as an amendment to any lobbying reform proposal that attempts to ban all privately financed congressional travel.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/az06_flake/060315travel.html