Congressmen go to junkets and to some it may seem for personal luxury. Many Congressmen however argue that these junkets are mandatory. They use these junkets to investigate an area to see if a bill is needed and catch up on current events. Some of them could be true to their words. However, some of these trips look controversial. The ultimate problem with these junkets is that it ruins the reputation of the government in the public’s eye. Congress would function better if they fix the current junket problem. Watchdog groups, or nonprofit groups that monitor the activities of the government, pushed for the Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to suspend junkets. My alternative solution is that Congressmen should send their aides and personal staff
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When 600,000 Americans became unemployed in January 2009, everyone in the House and the Senate got around a $5,000 raise in their salaries (Williamson). It is clearly not fair that when the country is struggling economically, the government uses the money for themselves. This further hurts the public view on the government, and they can further argue that they are in an unfair situation where they have to use their money while the government does not. Sending personal staff instead fixes this problem by reducing the chances of foreign companies covering the expense of the junkets. This in turn makes the government pay for the junkets themselves. Forty two members of Congress were reported to be involved in a $750,000 junket to Azerbaijan that were fully paid for by an oil company named SACAR (Clines). Some of these junkets are paid for by powerful companies like SACAR, so these trips are covered for the politicians, not to mention all the gifts received. Although there are regulation rules that does not allow interest groups and others to pay for these trips and offer gifts, loopholes are being used constantly. This definitely causes stir in the public because while they have to pay for taxes and basic needs to live, the politicians are getting free trips and gifts. Sending the aides instead reduces these loopholes and makes the government pay for themselves. Making the politicians pay seems more justified and fair considering how much money the government did not use on these
When 600,000 Americans became unemployed in January 2009, everyone in the House and the Senate got around a $5,000 raise in their salaries (Williamson). It is clearly not fair that when the country is struggling economically, the government uses the money for themselves. This further hurts the public view on the government, and they can further argue that they are in an unfair situation where they have to use their money while the government does not. Sending personal staff instead fixes this problem by reducing the chances of foreign companies covering the expense of the junkets. This in turn makes the government pay for the junkets themselves. Forty two members of Congress were reported to be involved in a $750,000 junket to Azerbaijan that were fully paid for by an oil company named SACAR (Clines). Some of these junkets are paid for by powerful companies like SACAR, so these trips are covered for the politicians, not to mention all the gifts received. Although there are regulation rules that does not allow interest groups and others to pay for these trips and offer gifts, loopholes are being used constantly. This definitely causes stir in the public because while they have to pay for taxes and basic needs to live, the politicians are getting free trips and gifts. Sending the aides instead reduces these loopholes and makes the government pay for themselves. Making the politicians pay seems more justified and fair considering how much money the government did not use on these