Senate OKs cap on conference spending
Combined wire services
WASHINGTON -- The Senate unanimously approved a plan Tuesday to cap spending by federal agencies on conferences and meetings, a proposal in direct response to the spending scandal unfolding at the General Services Administration.
The plan, introduced by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), was approved by voice vote as an amendment to a broad bipartisan bill to overhaul the U.S. Postal Service. A final vote on the postal bill is now expected to occur Wednesday.
The House is also expected to approve plans capping agency spending Wednesday, but as part of a different measure that establishes new government-wide spending standards.
The Coburn plan requires agencies to justify the cost and locations of any off-site meetings and to provide quarterly reports detailing the number of federal employees and other guests invited to the conference. It also caps agency spending on a single conference at $500,000 unless the agency is a primary sponsor.
The Senate, meanwhile, moved to impose new restrictions on the closing of rural post offices. Under the measure, the ailing U.S. Postal Service would be barred from closing post offices for one year if they are in rural areas -- those with fewer than 50,000 people. The exception would be if there was no community opposition.
The measure was among revisions to a bill aimed at stabilizing the Postal Service. The main bill would provide a short-term cash infusion while delaying decisions on thousands of post office closings and ending Saturday mail delivery.
The mail agency says it needs to begin closings this year as part of a billion-dollar cost-cutting effort. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe previously agreed to delay closings until May 15.
