Matthew Russell: “My bill, H.R. 195, the Federal Register Printing Savings Act of 2017, will save taxpayers dollars while providing needed…”

“My bill, H.R. 195, the Federal Register Printing Savings Act of 2017, will save taxpayers dollars while providing needed reform in how we conduct day-to-day business in Congress. The Federal Register contains a large amount of information, including proposed rules and public notices, regulations, executive orders, and Presidential documents. This information is compiled by the National Archives and published daily by the Government Publishing Office, or the GPO. Often described by the National Archives as ``the daily newspaper of the Federal Government,'' this service enables Members, staffs, and agencies to keep track of activity across government. In 1994, the GPO began publishing the Federal Register online. To improve user experience, the digital version has been enhanced over time to provide navigational aids that include links to related content. The Federal Register is now fully searchable and downloadable, making for quick access to any document. But sadly, Mr. Speaker, despite the advance of technology, Members of Congress and Federal offices across the entire government still receive printed copies of the Federal Register every day. In the course of a year, this stack of Registers would be 16-feet high. This results in thousands of copies going directly into the trash each week, unless occasionally used as doorstops.…”