Political Quotes

“I thank the ranking member for the time. I would first respectfully correct the record because the GAO conference was not in Las Vegas; it was in Henderson, Nevada, which is in District 3. Like my colleagues, I believe that government agencies should spend every cent in the most careful and responsible way possible, and it is our job as Members of Congress to ensure that all government spending is effective and efficient. While there are still improvements that can be made, and I agree with many of the comments that have been issued on the floor already, Congress and the administration have already taken many steps to eliminate excessive travel, require transparency, and improve oversight. I rise today, however, because I believe that H.R. 313 sends the wrong message about business travel. I am proud to represent Las Vegas, one of the premier business destinations in the United States. Last year, we hosted some 21,000 meetings and conventions attended by almost 5 million business travelers. These business meetings supported 60,000 jobs with an economic impact of $6.7 billion. Business travel is an important aspect of the economy, with over $250 billion in direct spending by business travelers, which supports 2.2 million jobs nationwide.…”