Chenoweth Cancels Trip To Bosnia

U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth has abandoned plans to return to Bosnia to spend Christmas with the troops because Congress is tied up with its budget battle.

“It looks like we’re only taking the 24th and 25th off for Christmas,” said Chenoweth press secretary Khris Bershers. “They won’t be able to do it.”

The idea was broached by Reps. Bob Dornan, R-Calif., and Greg Ganske, R-Iowa. They talked about taking a handful of members of Congress, including Chenoweth, to Bosnia to cheer up the troops at Christmas.

Chenoweth went to Bosnia as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation a week ago, and stopped in Germany to visit U.S. troops.

The Idaho Republican mentioned to her staff that she was considering the Christmas trip, and called her daughter and grandson to let them know.

Bershers said Chenoweth’s young grandson “of course wanted Grandma home for Christmas,” but Chenoweth “explained to him how there are soldiers on the battlefield in Bosnia who don’t have anyone to spend Christmas with.”

“The basic reason she gave was that she felt really bad for those troops over there that were going to be spending Christmas without their families in the middle of a war zone,” Bershers said.

“But,” she added, “it looks like she’ll be spending Christmas in Washington, D.C., now.”