WASHINGTON (AP) - Outraged by lavish government conferences on
the taxpayers' tab, the House has backed a measure to impose tough
limits on future events and how much agencies can spend.
The provision was added to the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act. The bill would create a one-stop, independent website that average Americans could search for information on federal spending.
The House passed the bill by voice vote Wednesday.
The bill would limit the number of conferences held annually and the amount of money a government agency could spend on the event -no more than $500,000.
The provision comes just weeks after the revelation that General
Services Administration officials in Western states went on taxpayer-financed junkets to Hawaii, South Pacific Islands and Las Vegas, where they stayed at resort hotels.
