Political Quotes

“Mr. President, members of Congress are debating fewer bills, casting fewer votes, and holding fewer hearings. Meanwhile, important government agencies including the Department of Defense and the Government Accountability Office are being targeted by Congress for spending reductions. What Congress has not considered cutting is the budget for its own summertime parties. On June 4, 2012, I introduced bipartisan legislation to eliminate taxpayer subsidies for political party conventions in the elections occurring after December 31, 2012. Additionally, the bill would allow Presidential Election Campaign Fund, PECF, funds dispersed before December 31, 2012, to be returned to the U.S. Treasury for the purpose of deficit reduction. Despite our $15.6 trillion national debt, political parties received a $36.6 million check, $18.3 million per party, from taxpayers to pay for the costs of political conventions occurring this summer. The funds that are used to cover the conventions come from the PECF. According to the Congressional Research Service, ``Federal law places relatively few restrictions on how PECF convention funds are spent, as long as purchases are lawful and are used to `defray expenses incurred with respect to a presidential nominating convention.' '' The money is, after all, essentially being used to throw a party.…”