Budget cuts to hit overseas congressional trips

WASHINGTON – There's more fallout from those automatic budget cuts: Congressional trips overseas are taking a hit.

Speaker John Boehner told Republican members on Wednesday that he is suspending the use of military aircraft for official trips by House members. Lawmakers typically travel on military planes for fact-finding trips to Afghanistan or Pakistan, or other congressional excursions to foreign locales.

A House Republican leadership aide said Boehner made the announcement at a closed-door GOP conference meeting. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.

The House Administration Committee has already told lawmakers that they will face spending cuts in their offices due to the automatic, across-the-board cuts that kick in Friday.