Mike Pence: “millions of Americans are troubled by recent revelations concerning privately funded travel, and Congress, in my…”

“millions of Americans are troubled by recent revelations concerning privately funded travel, and Congress, in my judgment, should ban privately funded travel until a system of prior approval can be established within the framework of the House Ethics Committee. While private travel permits Members of Congress to expand their knowledge of issues affecting the Nation and the world without burdening taxpayers, recent revelations have served to undermine public confidence about this practice, and I believe it should be suspended until new safeguards can be put in place to ensure accountability and transparency. Congress must take bold action to restore the confidence of the American people in the integrity of our national legislature. I commend Speaker Hastert and Chairman David Dreier for offering a bold vision of ethics reform and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting their efforts today. ____________________”