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Obama Ranks as Most Traveled Senator
Barack Obama's two years in the Senate have taken him around the world, from Russia to Iraq to Kenya -- an itinerary more costly to taxpayers than any other senator who took office with him. The Illinois Democrat's travels in 2005 and 2006 cost taxpayers nearly $28,000 as he studied nuclear proliferation, AIDS, Middle Eastern violence and more. Eight other freshmen senators took office in 2005, and about $19,200 was the most anyone spent for government-paid travel, according to reports filed with the Senate Office of Public Records. Obama's journeys are unusual for such a junior senator, but not for someone thinking of a presidential run someday.
Story Continues Below "Valuable or not, it's the thing they all do to show that they're knowledgeable about the world," said Stephen Hess, a George Washington University professor and former presidential aide. Obama was one of two freshmen members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the 109th Congress. He spent $18,822 in per diem and transportation costs in 2006 as he visited Middle East hotspots and toured Africa. The previous year he spent $8,313 visiting the former Soviet Union and the United Kingdom. The freshman with the next greatest spending on taxpayer-funded trips was Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., whose visits included China, Russia and the Middle East at a cost of about $19,200. Ranking third was freshman Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who spent $17,867 to visit China and Kuwait, among other places. © 2007 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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