SOARING INFLATION DIDN’T STOP U.S. SENAtors Mike Rounds, Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer from shelling out taxpayer money on private air travel last fiscal year.
The trio accounted for most of the $1 million that lawmakers spent on charter flights from October 2021 through September 2022, according to a Newsweek analysis of recently released congressional spending records.
Fewer than a dozen senators fueled the spending. The vast majority of Congress’ upper chamber did not fly charter with public funds; expenses were also significantly lower in the House.
Rounds, a Republican, racked up $380,000 in airfare, primarily by commuting multiple times a month to Washington, D.C., from his home state of South Dakota.
Gillibrand and Schumer, both from New York, paid $390,000 combined flying across the state to hold press conferences, meet with constituents and make other public appearances. On several occasions, the Democrats traveled between areas served by nonstop commercial flights or that were within driving distance of
