Luetkemeyer Supports Legislation to Halt Unnecessary Congressional Printing

Statement

U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9) on Tuesday voted in favor of legislation to eliminate the mandatory printing of Congressional bills, a move that would save taxpayers between $25 and $35 million over the next decade.

"We did not find ourselves in this fiscal mess overnight, and it will take time to correct this situation. I pledge to continue looking for and eliminating wasteful spending, both big and small, because, at the end of the day, every dollar we save is a step in the right direction," Luetkemeyer said. "Every dollar counts when it comes to getting a handle on our nation's deficit and debt."

Because all House and Senate bills are posted online, the Stop the Over Printing (STOP) Act would eliminate the mandatory printing of all bills by the Government Printing Office (GPO) for use in the House and the Senate. The current practice is to print at least five hard copies of proposed legislation for each sponsor and co-sponsor, and copies are then sent to the committee of jurisdiction and to Members' offices. The legislation is similar to a YouCut proposal that Republicans brought to the floor and attempted to pass in the last Congress. In the last Congress, over 14,000 bills and resolutions were introduced.

Earlier this month, the House took a first step to cutting spending when the House passed a measure that would cut all committee, leadership and Member office budgets by 5 percent, and cut the Appropriations Committee budget by 9 percent. This measure will immediately save taxpayers $35 million.

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