Coburn Brings Attention To Court Spending
Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn attacks spending by U.S. courts
By Chris Casteel Published: August 5, 2013
WASHINGTON — Sen. Tom Coburn, who has been calling out federal agencies for “lavish” spending while they’re furloughing employees and cutting services, turned his eye Monday to the U.S. courts, saying judges were still attending conferences at pricey hotels and that “wasteful” courthouse construction is costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
In a letter to the administrator of the U.S. court system, Coburn said that “in a time when the Judiciary claims sequestration will result in furloughs, canceled hearings and case dismissals, the federal Judiciary should halt nonessential conferences and excessive construction projects.”
Coburn, R-Muskogee, has been trying for years to rein in the costs of government conferences, and he has stepped up his efforts since the automatic budget cuts — known as sequestration — took effect in March.
According to Coburn, 159 judges and staff members in the nation’s 4th Circuit — which includes Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia — attended a conference a few weeks ago at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, at a cost of $270 per night per person.