[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 82 (Monday, June 4, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S3688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COBURN (for himself, Mr. Udall of Colorado, and Mr. Burr):
  S. 3257. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to 
prohibit the use of public funds for political party conventions, and 
to provide for the return of previously distributed funds for deficit 
reduction; to the Committee on Rules and Administration.
  Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, members of Congress are debating fewer 
bills, casting fewer votes, and holding fewer hearings. Meanwhile, 
important government agencies including the Department of Defense and 
the Government Accountability Office are being targeted by Congress for 
spending reductions.
  What Congress has not considered cutting is the budget for its own 
summertime parties.
  On June 4, 2012, I introduced bipartisan legislation to eliminate 
taxpayer subsidies for political party conventions in the elections 
occurring after December 31, 2012. Additionally, the bill would allow 
Presidential Election Campaign Fund, PECF, funds dispersed before 
December 31, 2012, to be returned to the U.S. Treasury for the purpose 
of deficit reduction.
  Despite our $15.6 trillion national debt, political parties received 
a $36.6 million check, $18.3 million per party, from taxpayers to pay 
for the costs of political conventions occurring this summer. The funds 
that are used to cover the conventions come from the PECF.
  According to the Congressional Research Service, ``Federal law places 
relatively few restrictions on how PECF convention funds are spent, as 
long as purchases are lawful and are used to `defray expenses incurred 
with respect to a presidential nominating convention.' '' The money is, 
after all, essentially being used to throw a party.
  Beside funding the event itself, the money is used to pay for 
entertainment, catering, transportation, hotel costs, ``production of 
candidate biographical films,'' and a variety of other expenses. These 
events will be weeklong parties paid for by taxpayers, much like the 
highly maligned General Services Administration conference in Las 
Vegas.
  The $15.6 trillion debt cannot be eliminated over night. But 
eliminating taxpayer subsidies for political conventions will show 
strong leadership to getting our budget crisis in control.
  I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will support this 
commonsense legislation to demonstrate for once and all the party is 
over when it comes to travel and meetings paid for by the taxpayers.
  I want to thank my colleagues for the opportunity to speak on the 
Senate floor today in support of this bill.

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