If Democrats and Republicans in Congress agreed on one thing this August, it was the importance of traveling to Israel. They just couldn't agree to travel together.
One in nine representatives, mostly freshman members of Congress, traveled to Tel Aviv last month, courtesy of the American Israel Education Foundation, a sister organization to the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbying group.
AIEF spent nearly $490,000 for a week of travel for 12 freshman, five other Democratic members, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) and three of Hoyer's aides. Democratic members attended foreign-relations and Middle East policy meetings, according to disclosure forms.
A week later, AIEF spent $668,000 to send 31 Republican members to an education seminar in Tel Aviv. The group included 20 freshman and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), who also brought along three members of his staff.
AIEF is consistently among the top congressional trip sponsors. It and other interest groups spend such large sums on international travel in the hopes of making and influencing congressional allies, who get immersed for days in issues from the organization's point of view.
Currently, 49 members have disclosed August travel with the group. However, trip-goers have 15 days to file upon their return, and late filings are not uncommon.
