Arlen Specter: “This amendment provides for $500,000 to be made available for a pilot project for mailings of postal patron postcards by…”

“This amendment provides for $500,000 to be made available for a pilot project for mailings of postal patron postcards by Senators for the purpose of providing notice of town meetings in counties with populations of less than 250,000. The reason for this amendment is to stimulate town meetings by Senators and to make us more aware as a body, individually and collectively, of what our constituents are thinking. Until fairly recently, there was no limitation on mail and notices could be sent out to the largest of counties at a very considerable expense as a matter of record, so that the public knew how much a Senator was spending. My own thinking is that there is no better use of our expense accounts than to communicate with our citizens about where we go personally to hear what is on their minds. Within the beltway, we are very insulated. In fact, people beyond the beltway do not even know what the 'beltway' expression means. However, when we talk to each other, and do not communicate with our constituents, we do not have a feel for what is going on.”