A study of congressional trips by the Medill News Service and American Public Media's Marketplace radio program and American RadioWorks found that private interests spent about $14.4 million since January 2000, to send House and Senate members on more than 4,800 trips.

But South Carolina's senators and Reps. Jim DeMint and John Spratt say they don't have much time to travel.

"He prefers not to do things like that," said Hollings spokeswoman Ilene Zeldin. "He has more work to do on committees. He'd rather spend his time in South Carolina than going all over the country giving speeches."

The analysis showed that private interests spent $8,669 to send Hollings on seven trips in the past four years. By contrast, the average senator racked up about $22,000 in trips over the past four years.

Hollings kept all of his trips short; even one to Alaska for the official naming of an airport in honor of Ted Stevens, president pro tem of the Senate and the chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee, lasted just three days. His other trips were speaking engagements.

Zeldin said Hollings receives many invitations from private interests because he is the ranking member of the Commerce Committee.

"He's good at saying no," Zeldin said. "He stays active by working down in South Carolina."

Since joining the Senate in 2002, Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has been treated to $15,806.19 in travel. When he was in the House, he accepted only $1,912 in expenses for two conferences in Georgia from 2000 to 2002.

Graham's spokesman Kevin Bishop said Graham has received more invitations for trips since becoming a senator. His schedule only allows him to accept a few invitations.

Graham's largest trip was a five-night, $10,638 trip to Italy, which was sponsored by the Nuclear Energy Institute. He and other members toured nuclear facilities in Italy.

"In some cases Europe is ahead of the U.S. when it comes to nuclear technology," Bishop said. Therefore, Graham could bring information home.

Bishop added that Graham is a supporter of nuclear technology and wants more of it to be produced in the United States. South Carolina has the second most nuclear power than any other state.

Most of Graham's trips were for speeches, which were made for Quail Unlimited, Business Roundtable, and Pathology Services Associates; and for television appearances on NBC's "Meet the Press" and ABC News.

DeMint choose trips sponsored by conservative groups, including Citizens for a Sound Economy, the Heritage Foundation and the National Right to Work Committee.

"If it relates to any issue that's going to have a positive impact on his constituents, he's going to look at it," DeMint spokesman John Hart said. "It's about a policy-centered trip, not a pleasure-centered trip."

Sponsors spent $16,763.29 on DeMint's trips. The average House member had about $24,000 in privately sponsored trips in the past four and a half years.

DeMint took only one trip abroad in the past four years -- a three-night trip to London to learn about social security reform in Great Britain -- but his staff took more trips abroad.

"His schedule is pretty packed and it's hard to find time," Spratt said.

Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., had only $1,902 spent on him in the past four years. His trips included an overnight stay in Orlando to receive an award from the American Public Power Association in 2000 and a two-night stay at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia for a bipartisan congressional trip in 2001.

Spokesman Chuck Fant said Spratt's work on the committees has prevented him from taking many trips.

"The Budget Committee and the Armed Services Committee are handling very hot issues right now," Fant said. "One is the war, the other is the federal budget deficit which is soaring to record levels, and the issue that combines the two, which is the cost of war."

Hart, DeMint's spokesman, said that privately sponsored trips should be evaluated for their purpose and what members of Congress did on them.

"It can be a very productive thing," Hart said. "I think it's helpful to do some overseas trips. I think it's just vital in the world that we live in."

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