Signatories so far:Eighty-eight members of Congress have signed a letter authored by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) calling on President Bush to answer questions about a secret U.S.-UK agreement to attack Iraq.In a letter, Conyers and other members say they are disappointed the mainstream media has not touched the revelations.
| Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) Brian Baird (D-WA) Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) Xavier Becerra (D-CA) Shelley Berkley (D-NV) Sanford Bishop (D-GA) Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) Corrine Brown (D-FL) Sherrod Brown (D-OH) G.K. Butterfield (D - NC) Donna M. Christensen (D-VI) William Lacy Clay (D-MO) Emanuel Cleaver(D - MO) James Clyburn (D-SC) John Conyers(D-MI) Jim Cooper (D-TN) Elijah Cummings (D-MD) Danny Davis (D-IL) Peter DeFazio (D-OR) Diana DeGette (D-CO) Bill Delahunt (D-IL) Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) Sam Farr (D-CA) Bob Filner (D-CA) Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN) Barney Frank (D-MA) Al Green (D-TX) Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) Louis Gutierrez (D-IL) | Alcee Hastings (D-FL) Maurice Hinchey(D-NY) Rush Holt (D-NJ) Jay Inslee (D-DC) Jessie Jackson Jr. (D-IL) Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) Dale Kildee (D-MI) Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI) Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) Barbara Lee (D-CA) John Lewis (D-GA) Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) Ed Markey (D-MA) Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) Jim McDermott (D-WA) James McGovern (D-MA) Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) Martin Meehan (D-MA) Kendrick Meek(D-FL) Gregory Meeks (D-NY) Michael Michaud (D-ME) George Miller (D-CA) Gwen S. Moore (D-WI) James Moran (D-VA) Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) Grace Napolitano (D-CA) | James Oberstar (D-MN) John Olver (D-MA) Major Owens (D-NY) Frank Pallone (D-NJ) Donald Payne (D-NJ) Charles Rangel (D-NY) Bobby Rush (D-IL) Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Linda Sanchez (D-CA) Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) Jose Serrano (D-NY) Ike Skelton (D-MO) Louise Slaughter (D-NY) Hilda Solis (D-CA) Pete Stark (D-CA) Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) Bennie Thompson (D-MS) Edolphus Towns (D-NY) Stephanie Tubbs Jones(D-OH) Chris VanHollen (D-MD) Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) Maxine Waters (D-CA) Diane Watson (D-CA) Melvin Watt (D-NC) Robert Wexler (D-FL) Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) David Wu (D-OR) Albert R. Wynn (D-MD) |
This looks like the House so far. I can only assume it will make its way to the Senate, but I don't know. The Senate is much less interested in rocking the boat. But I would think Ms. Boxer might like a line.
Apparently the Republicans aren't interested in the truth. (Or maybe the letter just hasn't gotten round to the Republican side of the aisle.)
And, the Democrats surely don't expect it.
I kind of got sidetracked while looking for these folks' states. The links are to pages implicating the congressfolk in DeLay-like "sponsored" travel. And then I came across this site: Power Trips
Reforms in recent years have made many of the lush perks once enjoyed by Congress disappear. But not all, certainly not travel. That's the conclusion of an investigation by Marketplace, American RadioWorks, and a team of graduate students from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, who cataloged every privately sponsored trip taken by members of the House or Senate since 2000. The result: Over $14 million spent by corporations, universities, and other outside interests, sending representatives around the world, for sometimes questionable reasons.[...]
Between January 2000 and May 2004, organizations ranging from the International Association of Ice Cream Vendors to Yale University spent about $14.4 million to send lawmakers on more than 4,800 trips, according to an analysis of congressional trips by Medill News Service in partnership with American Public Media's Marketplace program and American RadioWorks.
Most of the trips were designed for the legislator to discuss policy trends with interest groups. But they also included speaking engagements, visiting plant sites, attending charitable events like hunting outings or even touring wineries. Whatever the purpose, the interest group usually foots the bill and sets the agenda.
How much do your representatives travel?
Who accepts the most money in trips? (Top 100 Trip Takers)
How do the parties compare?[...]
Democratic Party
Number of trips for party members: 2729
Total spent on party members: $7,805,362.87
Percentage of total spent on party: 54.3%
Independent Party
Number of trips for party members: 22
Total spent on party members: $53,830.93
Percentage of total spent on party: 0.4%
Republican Party
Number of trips for party members: 2095
Total spent on party members: $6,512,990.35
Percentage of total spent on party: 45.3%
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
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