U.S. Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) issued the following statement on the news reports that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is seeking a magician to perform at a conference:
"It's outrageous that NOAA is advertising to hire a magician for an upcoming government conference. This is taxpayer abuse, pure and simple, and I urge Commerce Secretary John Bryson to immediately cancel these frivolous plans. This is a low point even by Washington's standards and an insult to the fishing families that have been harmed by NOAA's over-regulation and attitude of indifference. The best magic that NOAA could perform would be to make this wasteful spending disappear."