February 23, 2015
Disclosure of International Travel by Congress
International travel by Members of Congress and their
(defraying the costs of meals and lodging); transportation;
staffs is an issue of long-standing interest among the public,
other purposes; and the total of each category by traveler.
media outlets, and Members. Questions regarding the
purposes, destinations, and costs of international travel by
Congress frequently arise, as do questions about the ability
There is no requirement mandating the disclosure of
to identify and monitor the costs and benefits of such travel.
all international travel by Members of Congress or
Travel in connection with official duties may be paid for
their staffs in a manner that provides complete,
with appropriated funds, or, in limited circumstances, be
comparable records of trips taken, travelers, or costs.
funded by a foreign government or private source, pursuant
to House or Senate rules, or statute.
There is no requirement mandating the disclosure of all
Disclosures developed in compliance with 22 U.S.C. 1754
international travel by Members of Congress or their staffs
are published in the Congressional Record. They appear to
in a manner that provides complete, comparable records of
represent the largest, publicly available component of
trips taken, travelers, or costs. Depending on the source of
official congressional international travel expenditures paid
funding, disclosure of international travel occurs in one of
for with appropriated funds. The resulting information,
two ways. International travel paid for with appropriated
however, may be of limited utility because it covers a
funds is subject to limited disclosure, if foreign currency is
narrow range of expenditures for international travel by
used in conjunction with travel. International and domestic
Congress. Among the expenses that are not included in the
travel that is sponsored by a foreign government or private
foreign currency disclosures are the following:
entity is subject to disclosure, including destinations,
attendees, costs, itineraries, and identification of who is
Expenses borne by legislative branch entities in support
paying, pursuant to the requirements of House or Senate
of congressional travel. Entities might include House or
ethics rules. An overview of rules, regulations, and statutes
Senate leadership, officers, officials, or committees, the
governing congressional international travel paid by a
Office of Attending Physician, and the United States
foreign government and private entities is available from
Capitol Police.
the House or Senate Ethics Committees’ websites. This
report focuses on the disclosure of travel paid for with
Expenses borne by executive branch agencies in support
appropriated funds.
of congressional travel. Entities might include the
Department of State (State), which frequently organizes
Congressional International Travel Using
congressional international travel, provides support
Appropriated Funds
staff, and may host congressional travelers in its
22 U.S.C. 1754 provides that foreign currency “shall be
overseas facilities. Similar support is sometimes
made available to Members and employees of the Congress
provided to congressional travelers by the Department
for their local currency expenses” when traveling overseas
of Defense (DOD) which may provide military airlift as
on official duties. The law provides authority to the
well as other transportation and logistical support during
Secretary of the Treasury to “purchase such local currencies
trips.
as may be necessary for such purposes, using any funds in
Arguably, any costs for international travel by Congress
the Treasury not otherwise appropriated….” This language
using appropriated funds paid in U.S. dollars.
establishes a permanent appropriation that provides funds to
In addition to the challenges that may result by limiting
meet some of the expenses of congressional international
disclosure to the use of foreign currency, the explanatory
travel.
capacity of the disclosures may be further reduced for the
following reasons:
Members or staff may be authorized to travel abroad on
official duty using appropriated funds by the Speaker of the
Some disclosures list expenditures grouped by
House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Majority
individual trips, while others list expenditures by
and Minority Leaders of the Senate, and committee chairs
individual travelers.
in both chambers. 22 U.S.C. 1754 requires those who
authorize foreign travel to prepare a quarterly consolidated
Some disclosures provide expenditures by individual
report itemizing the amounts and U.S. dollar equivalent of
disbursements, but do not provide total per diem,
the foreign currencies spent on official overseas travel by
transportation, and other expenditures.
Members and staff. The law requires disclosures that state
Some disclosures do not clearly identify the entity for
the purposes of foreign currency expenditures for travel for
which they were filed, destinations visited, or currencies
each traveler in four categories, including: per diem
expended, if any.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Disclosure of International Travel by Congress
Taken together, these factors might raise questions for
could lead to a more detailed picture of the overall costs of
proponents of greater transparency about the
that travel when combined with expenditures by Congress.
comprehensiveness of reported destinations, participants, or
expenditures. They might argue that incomplete
Generally, more detailed disclosure of congressional
information from disclosures may reduce their suitability
international travel could increase the transparency of
and reliability as indicators of typical measures of travel,
congressional activities. The costs of administering the
including the number of trips taken; number of
disclosure process, however, could result in increased
congressional travelers; destinations, and the number times
administrative effort, time, and cost. This might make such
a destination was visited; purposes of travel; benefits of
travel more expensive, or make the actual costs seem
travel; or the extent of expenditures for congressional
higher, if the costs of planning and legislative and executive
travel.
agency support are included. Any change to current
disclosure requirements could subject Congress to greater
Legislation, 114th Congress
scrutiny by the media and general public. Raising the
In the 114th Congress, one measure related to disclosure of
profile of congressional travel among the media and public
international travel by Congress has been introduced. H.R.
might curtail the incidence of congressional international
147, the Congressional Foreign Travel Cost Disclosure Act,
travel if the response is unfavorable.
was introduced January 6, 2015, by Representative Walter
B. Jones, Jr., of North Carolina. The measure would require
On the other hand, increased disclosure might afford the
DOD to determine and disclose its transportation costs for
opportunity to more fully inform the public about the
congressional trips outside of the United States. The costs
necessities and benefits of congressional international
must be disclosed to the Member or congressional staff who
travel. To the extent that those educational efforts lead to a
travels; the House or Senate Armed Services Committees,
positive public response and greater support for travel,
and on a DOD public website. Disclosure would not be
more detailed disclosure might increase the incidence of
required for trips with the sole purpose of visiting U.S.
such travel.
military installations or U.S. military personnel in a war
zone. H.R. 147 was referred to the House Committee on
Armed Services on January 6, 2015. No further action has
Any change to current congressional travel disclosure
been taken as of the time of this writing.
practices arguably could affect the ability of legislators
and staff to make informed decisions in their official
Discussion
duties. If Congress were to proceed…, it could take
No single source identifies all international travel
into consideration the balance between the potential
undertaken by the House or Senate, and there is no means
consequences of those changes versus enhanced
to identify the number of trips taken, destinations visited,
transparency, and a more detailed understanding of
travelers, total costs, or costs paid for by funds appropriated
the ways in which congressional international travel
to legislative and executive branch entities. If Congress
informs Congress and the national interest.
chooses to revisit current practices, whether through
legislation or by other, administrative actions, it might
consider the following options: maintain the status quo;
require more detailed disclosure by Members of Congress
Enhanced transparency could raise security concerns if
and their staff who travel to international destinations; and
patterns of congressional international travel are easily
require detailed disclosure by all government entities that
available, and their analysis reveals consistent patterns of
support congressional travel.
travel. This could increase the cost of travel to destinations
that pose greater risks to Members of Congress or their
Increased disclosure could clarify the purposes and
staffs, or curtail such travel.
intended outcomes of congressional international travel.
Activities related to congressional international travel for
Any change to current congressional travel disclosure
which there is little publicly available information may
practices arguably could affect the ability of legislators and
include advance planning in support of such travel, means
staff to make informed decisions in their official duties. If
by which Members and staff are chosen to travel, reasons
Congress were to proceed in this area, it could take into
destinations are chosen, and reasons for stops at
consideration the balance between the potential
intermediate points on the way to a final destination.
consequences of those changes versus enhanced
transparency, and a more detailed understanding of the
Some foreign currency disclosures filed by congressional
ways in which congressional international travel informs
entities refer to travel support provided by some executive
Congress and the national interest.
branch agencies, including DOD and State, but do not
disclose expenditures. Some proponents of fuller disclosure
of the costs of congressional international travel argue that
R. Eric Petersen, Specialist in American National
requiring disclosure by executive agencies of the activities
Government
they undertake to support congressional international travel
IF10142
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Disclosure of International Travel by Congress
Disclaimer
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10142 · VERSION 2 · NEW