WASHINGTON — Rep. Doug Lamborn went on five trips last year — to Budapest, Hungary; Panama City; Tel Aviv, Israel; Lexington, Ky.; and Los Angeles — thanks to his congressional connections, a perk enjoyed by many members of Colorado’s delegation.

Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, usually brought his wife on these excursions, which were taken mostly during congressional recess periods and paid for by various foundations and interest groups, according to 2011 financial disclosures filed last week. The disclosures don’t list values of trips.

Lamborn’s office points out that the trips were not paid for by taxpayers and were pre-approved by the House Ethics Committee.

Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, went to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in January 2011 with a family member. The trip was paid for by the Alliance for Health Reform. She also went to Tokyo for a week in February 2011, paid for by the Japan Center for International Exchange, according to her disclosures.

Congressional trips are not uncommon ways to pass the time during vast stretches of recess in August or over the holidays.

Various interest groups — sometimes tied to the members’ committee assignments or their political party — like to bring elected officials to pleasant places to give them tours and educate them on their agenda.

GOP Reps. Cory Gardner and Scott Tipton, along with Lamborn, went to Israel in August 2011, paid for by the American Israel Education Foundation.

Tipton brought a family member, according to disclosures. Gardner did not bring his wife. His spokeswoman said it was because the family wanted to pay for her and didn’t have the money.

Rep. Mike Coffman took a trip to Los Angeles in January 2011 on the Heritage Foundation’s dime. He also went to China at the behest of the National Committee on United States-China Relations. He did not bring a family member on either trip.

Democratic Reps. Ed Perlmutter and Jared Polis filed extensions for 2011’s financial disclosures. They will be available this summer. On the Senate side, trips are not reported with the personal financial disclosures, but separately, and were not immediately available.

Lamborn spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen said her boss “finds these trips allow him to gain important perspectives on policy and legislation.”

Allison Sherry: 202-662-8907, asherry@denverpost.com or twitter.com/allisonsherry