On the recordJuly 21, 2011
I yield myself such time as I may consume. My amendment would prevent any funds in the Legislative appropriations bill from being used to distribute printed copies of legislation unless a Member specifically asks or requests for such a copy. Now, currently when a Member introduces legislation or becomes a cosponsor of a bill, three copies of that bill are sent to the Member's office, and oftentimes many of these copies end up being thrown away or recycled because legislative text is certainly available online and the paper copies just add to the unnecessary clutter. This amendment would seek to stop that practice. The legislation is available online, and if Members are interested, they could still get a copy of the bill or they can print it obviously offline or request to pick up a printed copy from the printing office. I understand that there are absolutely valid uses for the printed copies of these bills, and this amendment does not prevent them from being printed. A similar legislation, Mr. Chairman, was already adopted at the beginning of this Congress that passed the House 399-0. I would ask Members to support this amendment. It's fiscally responsible. It's common sense. It's environmentally the right thing to do as well.
