NTU urges all Representatives to vote “YES” on H.R. 5912, prohibiting the use of public funds for political party conventions and providing for the return of previously distributed funds for deficit reduction. Especially at a time of record deficits and with tough spending decisions looming, taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for political revelry.
Democrats and Republicans alike have been appalled at the revelation of hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars wasted by the General Services Administration on a Las Vegas convention, but that was small potatoes compared to the $18.2 million each party received from the Treasury for the 2012 conventions, on top of the $50 million each were allotted for convention security. This is up almost $2 million since 2008, and a far cry from the $4 million each party received in the 1970s.
No longer an essential function of the democratic process, party conventions are little more than formal announcement ceremonies for the intended nominees, where taxpayer dollars can be dispensed by the thousands on everything from teleprompters and trinkets, balloons and booze.
With our national debt soaring above $16 trillion and sovereign credit downgrade from yet another rating agency just last week, H.R. 5912 is an easy place to make urgently-needed and serious spending cuts. Not only is the legislation a good way to help prioritize how taxpayer funds are spent in the future, it also provides an avenue by which political parties can act now to return their previously distributed funds to the Treasury and live up to their lofty words of concern about the nation’s finances.
Roll call votes on H.R. 5912 will be included in our annual Rating of Congress and a “YES” vote is considered the pro-taxpayer position.
If you have any questions, please contactNTU Federal Affairs Manager Nan Swift at (703) 683-5700**********************************************