WASHINGTON— U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), and Doug Jones (D-AL) today introduced the Preventing Additional Printing of Electronic Records (PAPER) Act, bipartisan legislation to eliminate the mandatory, daily printing and hand-delivery of the Congressional Record and calendars to congressional and other federal offices.
“Printing these documents may have been useful 20 years ago before they were online, but now it’s a waste of time and taxpayer money,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We can save millions of dollars and lots of trees by passing this bill. It makes sense.”
“This outdated policy is uselessly costing millions of taxpayer dollars,” said Senator Jones. “I’m proud to support this bipartisan, common-sense legislation with Senator Cassidy that will improve government efficiency and reduce waste.”
According to the Government Publishing Office (GPO), printing the Congressional Record will cost American taxpayers an estimated $5.9 million in Fiscal Year 2019. The Congressional Record and Senate schedules are easily accessible online. The bill allows for the printing of copies for archiving and for offices who request them.
The PAPER Act is Cassidy’s latest effort to cut wasteful government spending. Last month, President Trump signed into law Cassidy’s Eliminate Government Funded Oil-paintings (EGO) Act, banning taxpayer money from paying for portraits of government officials.
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