U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is criticizing U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) for traveling to Europe and Ukraine. The two politicians are trying to pass their bipartisan Russian Sanctions Bill.
Greene, who is the chair of the House DOGE Committee and has been against sending additional financial aid to Ukraine, wrote on X: “Taxpayers funded trips for members of Congress and Senators are called codels. Most codels are unnecessary and expensive. I’ve only been on one codel and it was to our southern border at the height of the migrant invasion under the Biden administration. Cutting back on codels would be a good DOGE cut. Especially when tax payer funded codels may lead to furthering foreign wars.”
[NOTE: Codel is shorthand for congressional delegation.]
Note: In January 2024, Greene was one of 60 House Republicans who traveled and joined House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, ahead of a push to impeach then Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Happening now: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson leads a Congressional delegation in Eagle Pass, TX to hear about the impact of the ongoing border crisis. pic.twitter.com/DcFz7r4RlF
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) January 3, 2024
As seen below, Greene claims that Graham and Blumenthal are staying at “lavish Kyiv hotels” and are “strutting” through the Ukrainian city at the expense of American taxpayers, and shared documents provided by an X account called “Alladdin.”
Taxpayers funded trips for members of Congress and Senators are called codels.
Most codels are unnecessary and expensive.
I’ve only been on one codel and it was to our southern border at the height of the migrant invasion under the Biden administration.
Cutting back on codels… https://t.co/UkGIre98x7
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
(@RepMTG) June 2, 2025
When another X user asked Alladdin, “Not quite sure I understand this invoice. Is this what it would cost if they stayed all 30 days? Still, that’s 13.3k per night. Are they renting entire floors?” Alladdin replied, “Who knows.”
A different — and more traditional — take on a bipartisan congressional delegation visiting Kyiv is that with billions of U.S. dollars flowing to that ally’s defense efforts against the Russian invasion, having U.S. Senators who ostensibly control defense and aid appropriations assess the situation on the ground is to the advantage, not the disadvantage, of U.S. taxpayers.
Below is Blumenthal reporting from Ukraine.
As I leave Kyiv, I’m inspired by the strength & courage of the Ukrainian people as they endure Putin’s bloody invasion. Ukraine’s fight is our fight—we must pass my Russian sanctions bill w/ @LindseyGrahamSC & impose bone-crushing sanctions on Russia to stop the murderous assault pic.twitter.com/0dh55d7yAc
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) May 30, 2025