Political Quotes

“this amendment, on behalf of Senator Specter, provides up to $500,000 in the miscellaneous items account of the Senate for a pilot program and additional funds for town meeting notices, an issue which Senator Specter has pursued for quite some time. In the fiscal year 2002 appropriations, we provided separate funds for town meeting notices subject to a Rules Committee authorization, which has not yet occurred. I would like to point out that Senators, on average, spend less than half the amount budgeted for franked mail--less than $3 million out of the $7.6 million budget. In addition, last year only a small number of Senators used town meeting notices. No Member, other than the Senator from Pennsylvania, has indicated the budget is inadequate. It doesn't appear that we have a significant problem, but in order to determine whether or not there is an interest in promoting town meetings with notices attendant thereto, and how widespread that problem might be, we have agreed to this pilot program for 1 year. We have requested that by the end of the next fiscal year the Sergeant at Arms and the Doorkeeper of the Senate shall submit a report to the Committee on Rules and Administration and the Committee on Appropriations.”