Congress has voted to cut and freeze travel spending by
government agencies for five years, an apparent response to the scandal over
the General Services Administration's excessive spending on its Western Regions
Conference in 2010.
As passed by the House and the Senate, the measure would cap
travel spending by government agencies at 80 percent of their 2010 level
through 2016.
It would also set new restrictions on government agency
participation in meetings and conferences, including a requirement that
"no agency may expend more than $500,000 to support a single
conference."
After the disclosures about the GSA event in Las Vegas,
these provisions were added to a pending measure called the Digital Accountability
and Transparency Act, or DATA Act, which deals generally with the topic of
standards and procedures for reporting federal expenditures.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), a key sponsor of the bill and
the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said on
the eve of the House vote, "Now, more than ever, the American people
demand real accountability of how their tax dollars are being spent. It's clear
from our investigation into GSA's lavish conference spending that accountability
and increased transparency is needed. Through the bipartisan DATA Act, we can
improve our oversight of federal funds by mandating clear, consistent reporting
standards."
As amended, the measure passed the House by a voice vote. In
the Senate, it was attached to a postal reform bill that passed by a vote of
62-37. The versions are different, however, and need to be reconciled before
they can be sent to the White House for the President’s signature.
This report originally
was published in Travel Weekly.