Last month, Congressional Black Caucus members traveled to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before continuing to Rwanda - a trip that represents some of the highest-ever spending by an interest group on private congressional travel.
The American Israel Education Foundation, a sister group to the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee, sent ten representatives on a trip to the two countries' capital cities from Sept. 1-10.
So far, six of those members - Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.), Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) - have filed ethics disclosures for the trip. Except for Jackson and Torres, each of the six brought along a family member on AIEF's dime.
For those who traveled with family members, AIEF spent more than $50,000 per member - the four highest expenses for privately funded congressional travel since at least 2000. Only one other trip has ever passed the $50,000 mark.
Jackson's and Torres's trips cost AIEF $28,593 and $26,279, respectively.
Reps. Alma Adams (D-N.C.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Troy Carter (D-La.) and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) also reportedly traveled with the group but have not yet filed disclosures. Members and staff are required to disclose such travel within 15 days of the trip's end.
In Israel, the delegation met with Netanyahu, reportedly to help boost the prime minister's relationship with the Biden administration and Democrats and in an unsuccessful attempt at securing Netanyahu a White House meeting.
Members also met attended discussions on Israeli-African relations, visited the Gaza Strip border and met with the Rwandan president. Members and their accompanying relatives flew business class to and from the U.S. and by chartered plane from Israel to Rwanda.
So far this year, members and staff have disclosed accepting a total of 86 AIEF trips that have cost the organization more than $1.7 million. Other interest groups have spent $5.5 million on another 1,363 trips.
