The expense of traveling senators charged to the budget of the Upper House amounted to 2.12 million euros in the first six months of 2024, lor which represents almost 700,000 euros more than the previous year at this point and a record expense in the nine years since these data have been known.
The increase in the expense of these trips coincides with the decision of the absolute majority of the PP to increase the number of plenary sessions per month, from being held two monthly sessions to add a new plenary session per month. Precisely, the Senate Board has already taken this increase in spending into account and included it in the new House Budget.
According to data collected by Europa Press, the Senate allocated up to a total of 1,249,420.33 euros in travel during the second quarter of 2024, divided between parliamentary, political and official trips of senators. This amount also includes management expenses, cancellation and change of tickets, as well as tickets issued pending use.
The Senate bears the travel expenses of senators by means of public transportation (plane, train, bus or boat) for the performance of their parliamentary activity, to carry out activities of a political, sectoral or institutional representation natureas well as official trips made on behalf of the Senate.
Likewise, the Senate gives parliamentarians a ‘Taxi Card’ with a maximum annual credit of 3,000 euros, valid to cover their travel in the Community of Madrid, and, in the case of using their own car, 0.25 euros are paid. per kilometer, as well as, where applicable, the amounts of motorway tolls.
A record number
The senators’ travel expenses during these first three months of 2024 have been the record since this data began to be made public, nine years ago. Specifically, the total for the first six months of 2024 amounts to 2,118,959.24 euros.
In the same period of time, senators spent 1,420,218.9 euros during the year 2023, while in 2022 it was an expense of 1,460,297.12 euros. In the years with Covid restrictions, spending was 1,153,653.69 euros in 2021 and 727,285.5 euros in 2020.
In 2019, the last year before the pandemic, the senators’ travel expenses were 956,704.27 euros. In 2018 (1,734,409.67 euros), 2017 (1,590,906.16 euros), 2016 (907,072.4 euros) and 2015 (1,431,139.62 euros), the barrier of 2.1 million euros was never exceeded. first quarter of this year.
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