[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 122 (Wednesday, September 19, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9508-S9509]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER:
  S. 1436. A bill to authorize additional funding for Members of the 
Senate which may be used by a Member for mailings to provide notice of 
town meetings; to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition today to 
introduce legislation which specifically authorizes funding for 
Senators to mail town meeting notices to their constituents. My 
legislation authorizes $3 million each year for the next five years for 
Members to spend on the mailing of town meeting notices in counties 
with populations of less than 50,000.
  Town meetings are the best way for Members to inform constituents 
about

[[Page S9509]]

our actions in Washington, and town meeting notices are the most 
effective means we have of advising constituents about these events. 
Unfortunately, the budgets under which we operate today are very 
restrictive and do not allow us to properly advise all of our 
constituents when we will be holding a town meeting in their area. For 
Pennsylvania alone, it would cost $735,000, one third of my entire 
office budget, to circulate town meeting notices to each household in 
Pennsylvania. For this reason, additional funding is necessary to allow 
Members to send adequate notice to constituents of their visits 
throughout their States. However, recognizing the fiscal constraints 
under which we are currently operating, I have limited the scope of my 
legislation to only counties with smaller populations.
  Smaller, rural communities are not always effectively reached by the 
mass media, which are generally relied upon to deliver news of our 
legislative activities. For example, if you take the northern tier of 
Pennsylvania, or the southern tier, where residents do not necessarily 
get any of the major newspapers and are outside television range, 
unless you actually go to the county, it is very hard for Senators to 
communicate with their constituents about what they are doing in 
Washington. Town meetings are a valuable forum in which Members can 
share details of our work and in turn hear directly from constituents 
concerning their thoughts on a variety of topics. My legislation would 
ensure that constituents in all parts of a Member's State are afforded 
the opportunity to participate in this process.
  I regularly visit all 67 counties in Pennsylvania and find it very 
refreshing to get outside the beltway, to find out what people are 
thinking about in the more rural, remote parts of Pennsylvania. 
Likewise, my constituents also find it valuable to be able to receive 
notice that Arlen Specter is coming to town, to listen to a short 
speech, and spend the majority of meeting time participating in a 
question and answer session. That way you have participatory democracy.
  In July 2001, during Senate floor consideration of the Fiscal Year 
2002 Legislative Branch Appropriations bill, Subcommittee Chairman 
Durbin and Ranking Minority Member Bennett accepted my amendment which 
provides $3 million for the mailing of town meeting notices, subject to 
authorizing legislation. Today I am introducing this authorizing 
legislation, and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting its timely 
passage.
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