July 29, 2009

Nevada Senator Harry Reid today introduced a bill to prevent travel discrimination by federal agencies against cities known as resort destinations, including Las Vegas and Reno. “Paying more money to hold a meeting in another city for appearances' sake is unfair to all U.S. taxpayers and a waste of their money,” said Reid.
 
Earlier this month, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel sent a letter to Sen. Reid stating that “federal policy should not dictate the location of where such government events are held.”  Emanuel added, “Our view on the issue of government travel is not focused on specific destinations, but rather on the justification for the cost/benefit ratio of the individual exercise.”

On Monday, Reid sent Emanuel’s letter to every Cabinet Secretary and federal agency head to ensure they are aware of the new policy under President Obama and asked any agency with a policy against traveling to Nevada to reverse that policy immediately.