Congressional Travel

clerk.house.gov

When you want to find out how your congressman invests his money, or what fabulous trips a senator has taken on someone else's dime, go to the House Legislative Resource Center and the Senate Office of Public Records.

I always find something interesting when I poke around, although it usually takes me a while just to remember what sources to look in. With each type of expense and freebie reported differently, they don't make it too easy.

Here's what I've learned:

House

The Legislative Resource Center is in B-106, under the Cannon Office Building. The staff is efficient, but it's been my experience that they are stretched thin, especially on the day the Financial Disclosures are released and they are mobbed by reporters.
http://clerk.house.gov/index.html

202-226-5200

House - Financial Disclosures

These are due May 15 and tell you what investments a member holds, where a member's spouse works, etc. The dollar categories are maddeningly broad but nonetheless the reports are interesting, especially when you compare one year to the last. Financial disclosure reports are scheduled for release on June 12, 2009 this year. They'll be posted online by August 1, 2009.

The Library of Congress (LRC) keeps older files on computer. Sit down at one of the public-use terminals and do as instructed.

You'll be asked to type in identifying information. Note that the computer allows you to access the info it has gathered about other inquirers, so you can see who else is checking up on your representative.

Keep in mind what is NOT in the report – residences, either in their home district or where they live when they're in Washington. County assessors' offices should be able to provide you with that information. Also, you may see a junket or two listed, but most travel will not appear on these forms.

House - Travel

In black three-ring folders in the back corner of the LRC you'll find some of the best reading. The so called “Rule 25” travel is really, in some cases, amazing. Interest groups and industry associations can't give members cash, but they can – and do – fly them to Hawaii and put them up in $500-a-night resorts. Spouses often can come along. Trip reports are supposed to be filed within a mnth of the person's return.

Travel disclosure reports filed since January 1, 2008 are available online at
http://clerk.house.gov/public_disc/giftTravel-search.html

You'll see, too, that staffers also get to go to these important conferences in Las Vegas and Kona in February. Staffers file the same forms, and they are kept in the same binders, under the member's name.

House - Committee Travel

Foreign trips the government pays for are accounted for separately. Go to the desk at the LRC and say you want to see the “foreign travel” folder for whatever committees your person is on. You can also find these trip reports on line, listed by quarter and month, at:   http://clerk.house.gov/public_disc/foreign/index.html

House - Office Spending

Near the entrance to the LRC, you'll find a shelf with paperbound volumes of the “Quarterly Statement of Disbursements.” Here you can see how the Congress member spends the money allotted for the expense of running an office or committee. You'll also see money spent on trips, usually back to the home district.

Other information at the LRC:
- Lobbyist reports, campaign (FEC) reports, legal expense funds.

You can search lobbying disclosure report filings online at
http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldsearch.aspx

Senate

Office of Public Records

202-224-0322

Location

The staff here has always seemed exceedingly helpful, although the day the financial disclosures are released is usually not the best day to go poking around. If you've already been to the LRC, you'll find the Senate OPR keeps things similarly.

The financial disclosure reports are scheduled for release on June 12, 2009 this year.

Most of what you'll need is available from the public-access terminals – the senators' financial disclosure forms, the lobbyist reports, the travel (paid by others) and gift reports.

The foreign (committee) travel, though, is kept in binders on a shelf near the terminals. If you're looking for pre-1999, you'll have to resort to microfilm.
The lobbyist reports, travel (paid by others) and gift reports are also available online at
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/g_three_sections_with_teasers/lobbyingdisc.htm

OPR is not the official repository for the quarterly office expense reports, where you'll find aides' salaries and the like, but they do keep a copy and the very nice staffers won't mind if you take a gander. Ask for the green book. It's in at least two volumes but they tell me it is always green. It is officially called the “Report of the Secretary.” They're also available in the Senate library, which is in room B-15 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Other sources:
- OPR has campaign (FEC) reports, but you can make a nice spreadsheet if you download them from www.FEC.gov.

You can also find lobbyist reports at http://sopr.senate.gov.
The web site LegiStorm.com, http://www.LegiStorm.com, has financial disclosure reports and congressonal staff salaries in an easy-to-lookup format. The site also posts info on travel (paid by others,) foreign gifts, and members' individual earmark requests.
 

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