Senators introduce bill to cut congressional printing costs

Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) on Thursday introduced a bill that would end the automatic printing of every bill and resolution that is introduced. Currently, paper copies are printed and delivered to each member's office.

The bill passed the House unanimously on Jan. 18 as the second of weekly spending-cut bills House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has promised to bring to a vote. The bill is projected to save millions in printing costs.

“This bill is a small but important step toward shifting Congress’s focus from borrowing to saving,” Coburn said in a press release.

 “Individuals, families and businesses figured out a long time ago that shifting documents online reduces printing expenses. This commonsense proposal might be mostly symbolic, but it will save millions of taxpayer dollars every year, and that should continue to be our top priority,” Warner said. 

The senators are asking Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to move the bill under unanimous consent procedures.

So far the House GOP has passed a bill cutting office budgets and ending public funding of presidential campaigns. While these cuts are minor, the House Appropriations Committee is preparing its own list of deep cuts, chairman Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said this week.