In the first half of 2009, according to an analysis by POLITICO, Sen. Jon Tester spent $67,710.21 and Sen. Max Baucus spent $51,715.98. The two Montana Democrats were actually frugal compared to many of their colleagues. Much of Thursday’s story focuses on Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y, who have each already spent about $150,000 in taxpayer money traveling this year.
Cornyn, a Republican, racked up the highest travel bill in the Senate by spending more than $38,000 on a St. Michaels, Md., retreat for 59 staffers and by taking expensive, multicity charter flights throughout his home state of Texas.
Schumer, a Democrat, ran up the second-highest bill by routinely flying private charters to cities in New York served by commercial airlines.