Congressman Russell Continues Effort to Eliminate Waste

Press Release

Friday, Congressman Steve Russell (OK-5) introduced the Federal Register Printing Savings Act of 2016, continuing his efforts to eliminate government waste through smart budget cuts and economic reforms.

Every day, the federal government prints large numbers of paper copies of the Federal Register, many of which are never even looked at. For example, every business day, each Member of Congress receives a paper copy of the Federal Register, which is typically hundreds of pages in length. The Federal Register is available online, and most Congressional offices neither ask for these paper volumes, nor do they make use of them. Virtually all of them go straight to the recycling bin, or even the trash.

This legislation makes a simple change to cut down on this waste. If a member of Congress, or other federal official, wishes to receive the printed Federal Register, they may still do so. They simply need to ask for it. The bill would bar the Government Printing Office from sending copies of the Federal Register to any official who has not requested to receive it during the current or prior calendar year. Officials may ask for either a specific issue or an annual subscription.

A paid annual subscription to the Federal Register costs $929, suggesting the free copies for members of Congress alone cost hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. That is taxpayer money that is simply being wasted.

"I was amazed to discover this obvious waste existed when I entered the House last year," Congressman Russell said. "There are countless opportunities to save taxpayer money throughout the government. Congress should be considering these options on a routine basis. We can start by eliminating the waste that is right in front of us every day. There are plenty of other reforms we can make to better use taxpayer money. I intend to continue offering legislation to better steward precious taxpayer dollars."

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