[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 141 (Wednesday, September 21, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CONCERNS REGARDING ``EXTRAVAGANT AND WASTEFUL'' SPENDING AT THE 
                         DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 21, 2011

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I submit a letter that I sent to Attorney 
General Holder on the report by the Office of Inspector General on the 
``extravagant and wasteful'' spending on conference planning and 
refreshments.

                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Appropriations,

                               Washington, DC, September 20, 2011.
     Hon. Eric H. Holder, Jr.,
     Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC.
       Dear Attorney General Holder: I was deeply concerned to 
     read the Audit of Department of Justice Conference Planning 
     and Food and Beverage Costs, which was released today by the 
     Office of the Inspector General. This report details the 
     Acting Inspector General's finding that DOJ spent more than 
     $120 million on 1,832 conferences over two years, including 
     ``extravagant and wasteful'' spending on food and beverages.
       In one egregious example that occurred during your tenure 
     as Attorney General, the Department spent $16 on each of 250 
     muffins served at an Executive Office for Immigration Review 
     conference. In another case, the audit found that neither the 
     Office of Justice Programs nor the Office on Violence Against 
     Women required event planners to track and report salary and 
     benefit costs on contracts totaling more than half a million 
     dollars.
       As Chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that 
     funds the Justice Department, I am troubled about the 
     financial mismanagement that has taken place at the 
     Department during the same period in which this country has 
     weathered a severe recession and a tenuous economic recovery. 
     It is clear that while American taxpayers were tightening 
     their belts and making difficult financial decisions, the 
     Department was splurging on wasteful snacks and drinks as 
     well as unnecessary event planning ``consultants.''
       Over the last year, the House Appropriations Committee has 
     had to make difficult choices about deep spending reductions 
     to reflect the austere budget environment. Appropriations for 
     the Department were reduced by 2.8% overall in fiscal year 
     2011, and are reduced by another 3.4% in the House-reported 
     bill for fiscal year 2012, a total reduction of more than 
     $1.7 billion over two years.
       Clearly there is still more work to be done to address 
     wasteful spending at the Department. I expect you and other 
     Department officials to immediately address the OIG's 
     recommendations, and renew efforts to root out and eliminate 
     wasteful spending practices such as those detailed in this 
     report.
           Sincerely,
     Frank R. Wolf,
       Chairman, House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science 
     and Related Agencies.

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