Maui Beach Hotel.
Posted on 08/11/2011 10:47:16 PM PDT by STARWISE
Senate Democrats are charging taxpayers for a trip to Hawaii, The Daily Caller has learned. The entire press staff of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee is in Maui, even though a field hearing there won’t happen until next Wednesday.
The committee’s oversight field hearing, scheduled for next Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the Maui Beach Hotel, will focus on “Strengthening Self-Sufficiency: Overcoming Barriers to Economic Development in Native Communities.”
Rick Manning from Americans for Limited Government, which first discovered the hearing, told TheDC it’s unbelievable that Hill staffers talking about fiscal responsibility would waste money on a trip to Maui.
“It’s outrageous that Senate Democrats have so little respect for the American taxpayer that in the same month they buried our credit rating, they’re heading to Hawaii to celebrate,” Manning said.
A committee staffer told TheDC that the reason the hearing will be in Maui is “mostly because it’s his [committee chairman Sen. Daniel Akaka’s] home state.” It’s unclear if the field hearing will focus on any issues relating at all to Hawaii, or if the reasoning for scheduling the trip there is only because Akaka will already be in Hawaii during the congressional recess.
The staffer said Akaka is the only senator who will attend.
The Democratic committee staffers used taxpayer funding to travel to Hawaii a full week before their committee’s hearing date. When TheDC called the committee’s Washington, D.C., office Thursday afternoon, a different staffer who answered the phone said all the committee’s communications staffers are already in Maui.
It’s unclear if other committee employees, in addition to communications staff, are also in Maui.
It’s standard practice for taxpayers to cover travel expenses for congressional committee staffers, but there’s no way to know at this point how much the trip will cost, unless staffers offer up the information.
Committee staff declined to answer specific questions about why the field hearing was scheduled in Maui, nor would they say how many of their colleagues were there, on their way there, or scheduled to travel there.
Maui Beach Hotel.
Well, at least they aren’t going to Las Vegas. Obama will be pleased.
The gall of these people. Half the country is on food stamps and they are enjoying an all-expense paid vacation to Hawaii. How do we stop these people???
Forward to Drudge and FOX.
“The Democratic committee staffers used taxpayer funding to travel to Hawaii a full week before their committee’s hearing date.”
“[Committee staff] deferred all questions to the committee’s press staff, which is already, in its entirety, in Maui.
No one among the press staff in Maui has returned the TheDC’s phone calls for comment.”
~~~~~~~~~~
BTW: Drudge has it in left column with this headline:
REPORT: Taxpayers fly Congress staffers to Hawaii...
If they are on the tax payers dime,the tax payer has the right to know,why they are there early,how many are being funded by the tax payer and final cost.
How do you say “junket” in Hawaiian?
Probably “aloha”.
Well, no one ever accused today's Washington Democrats of being logical, nor of being responsible about spending taxpayer dollars on themselves.
Are Hawaiians American Indians, or South Sea Islanders?
Native Hawaiians aren’t Indians but the committee deals with them too.
The only apparent reason the hearing is being held there is that’s where his majesty chairman Akaka will be holding court.
Article says he’ll be the only Senator there. I never heard of a hearing with just one Senator. What Akaka will be talking to himself about is unknown.
All sounds really ridiculous.
“...How do you say “junket” in Hawaiian?...”
Ah-Taxpayer-Funded-loHa!
I always thought it was “Akaka.” : )
“...I always thought it was “Akaka.” : )...”
Nah...that’s just what comes outta your “Dupa”...whenever you go to the crapper to donate to the DNC...you know, to “give something back” for all they’ve done for the country...
You mean, when you Dukakis.
Only after a laxative, brother...
Good one!!!
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