The binge of executive flights in the official missions of senators

First-term senator Laércio Oliveira (PP-SE) paid BRL 66,000 for a business class ticket to Houston (USA). Senator Irajá (PSD-TO) spent R$ 180,000 on four trips. In one of them, he spent BRL 70,000 on executive tickets to Paris and New York. Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) spent R$91,000 on tickets and per diem, including his support team. The expenses of 35 senators with international travel already add up to R$ 1.3 million – R$ 762 thousand with per diems and R$ 603 thousand with tickets.

Laércio Oliveira traveled to Houston, Texas, to participate in the Offshore Technology Conference at the end of April. Including six nights, the expense reached R$ 85,000. With the expenses for the trip to Washington and Baltimore (USA) in March, the bill came to R$ 109,000. On the trip to Paris and New York, at a cost of R$ 72,000, Irajá had a meeting on tax reform models at the OECD and a discussion on bioenergy at the “Brazilian Energy and Sugar Week”. On flights to the UN General Assembly and to the Assembly of the Parliamentary Union, with “institutional meetings” in the Kingdom of Bahrain, expenses totaled R$94,000, R$55,000 of which with business class tickets.In Beijing, integrating the presidential, it spent R$15,000 on per diems.

Rodrigo Pacheco’s participation in President Lula’s delegation on his trip to China cost just R$7,500 in per diem. But the trip for an aide and a security guard for the president of the Senate generated another expense of R$75,000. The trip to London, accompanied by a legislative officer, cost over R$54,000, including a business class ticket.

Who is entitled to business class

By Senate rules, the top of the house is entitled to travel in business class. But this dome is greatly enlarged. Among those privileged are the members of the Board of Directors (7), the presidents of permanent committees (13) and leaders (21). In short, they are the majority in the house. This year, 16 tickets were in business class.

Senator Nelsinho Trad (PSD-MS) traveled to Manama (Kingdom of Bahrain) and Tokyo from March 9 to 29. He received BRL 48,000 in daily rates plus an executive ticket of BRL 28,000, for a total of BRL 76,000. He traveled from Bahrain to Tokyo at the invitation of the government of Japan, which provided his air transport.

Senator Wellington Fagundes (PL-MT), leader of the Vanguarda parliamentary bloc, traveled to Porto (Portugal) and Oslo (Norway) on an “international mission” in March. The 11 nights cost R$ 34,000. With an executive ticket of R$ 30,000, the mission cost R$ 64,000.

Efraim Filho (União-PB), bench leader, participate in the Mobile Word Congress, in Barcelona, ​​and in the activities of the Datona Delegation, in Israel. The expense was R$ 58 thousand, including executive ticket.

The leader of the Lula government, Jaques Wagner, traveled to San Diego (USA) to visit the University of California. He spent BRL 40,000, with a business class ticket worth BRL 24,000. He was also part of President Lula’s delegation to Beijing, receiving an additional R$15,000 in per diems. He closed the travel account at 55 thousand.

Giordano (MDB-SP) participated in Wasteexpo 2012, in New Orleans, in April. His ticket cost R$ 31 thousand. With more daily rates, the expense closed at R$ 49 thousand. Sérgio Petecão (PSD-AC), president of the Public Security Commission, participated in the annual meeting of the Interparliamentary within the scope of the UN General Assembly, in New York. With an executive ticket of R$33,000, he spent R$45,000.

Rodrigo Cunha (União-AL) was in Guangzhou, at the China import and export fair – Canton Fair. The trip cost R$53,000, R$26,000 of which with daily rates. The ticket was in economy class. Ciro Nogueira (PP-PI) traveled to the Annual Parliamentary Hearing of the Interparliamentary Union in New York. The expense closed at R$ 40 thousand, with 28 thousand of executive ticket.

Senators justify trips

Senator Irajá’s advisory stated that “all the aforementioned expenses comply with the Senate’s rules and were duly authorized, including airline tickets purchased directly by the Federal Senate.” He added that his trips took place on missions that “dealt with relevant topics for the economy of Tocantins and our country. The agendas carried out had the objective of expanding trade relations with the aim of stimulating the business environment for the generation of jobs and income for Brazilians”.

He also said that Irajá is a member of the Economic Affairs Commission and author, in the Senate, of the creation of the Parliamentary Front of the BRICS, “a group of countries with enormous weight in Brazil’s trade balance”.

Nelsinho Trad’s advisors stated that he traveled as a representative of the Federal Senate, “duly authorized by the competent body of the Board of Directors, following all the legal procedures. The mission in Bahrain was as an observer and president of the Amazonian Parliament, where he participated as a speaker at the Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The following week, he embarked on a mission to Tokyo, at the invitation of the Japanese government. The international air transport was paid for by the government of Japan”.

Ciro Nogueira’s office stated that the tickets for his trip were issued by the Ticket Management Service of the Federal Senate, “after rigorous price research”. The other senators mentioned were contacted, but did not respond until the publication of the report.