WASHINGTON – U.S. Congresswoman Candice Miller (MI-10) today introduced legislation which would end the unsolicited, mandatory printing and delivery of the Congressional Record, saving taxpayer dollars from being spent on wasteful government printing. Prevent the Reckless, Irresponsible, Needless Typography (PRINT) Act will put an end to the rarely-used, required printed version of the Congressional Record which costs taxpayers an estimated $8 million per year.

“The PRINT Act focuses on ending unnecessary and wasteful spending,” Miller said. “Since many of today’s documents are widely available online, the PRINT Act will eliminate the mandatory printing of the Congressional Record, potentially saving more than $8 million per year. Congress must continue making responsible decisions when utilizing taxpayer dollars and this measure is one more way to end an outdated, costly habit.”

The total printing, binding and distribution cost of the Congressional Record is estimated to be roughly $8 million annually. This printing is non-essential, especially considering the fact that this document has been publically available electronically since 1994 (www.thomas.gov). The PRINT Act would require that the distribution of the Congressional Record daily edition is limited to as many as are necessary for archival and historical purposes, and those copies that are explicitly requested by the Vice President or Members of Congress. Original cosponsors of the PRINT Act include: Michael Grimm (NY-13), Madeleine Bordallo (GU), Ron Paul (TX-14), Howard Coble (NC-6), Nan Hayworth (NY-19) and Bill Posey (FL-15). The PRINT Act is the companion to Senators Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) legislation in the Senate, S. 674.

Click here to view the text of the PRINT Act.

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