Misguided legislation threatens to reduce government efficiency and effectiveness and undermine the government’s ability to serve taxpayer interests
Washington, DC – This week, Meetings Mean Business (MMB) sent a letter to Representative Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), urging him to fix the Stay in Place, Cut the Waste Act of 2015 (H.R. 2810). Rep. Fitzpatrick introduced the legislation on June 17 to replace up to 50 percent of all government business travel with videoconferencing as a substitute for face-to-face meetings.
“We are deeply concerned with the provisions of this bill,” said David Peckinpaugh, MMB co-chair and president of Maritz Travel. “Research shows that well planned in-person meetings are essential; they allow for the productive exchange of ideas across industry, academia and government and are a critical component of government employee education and training. Virtual meetings and teleconferences are useful tools that complement in-person meetings, but should not replace them.”
The letter in its entirety is available here. It includes 36 signatories from across the meetings and events industry, and states:
“While MMB strongly supports efforts to conserve taxpayer resources and ensure that government meetings serve the public interest, we believe that H.R. 2810 as currently drafted could increase federal spending, reduce efficiency and effectiveness, and harm the federal government’s ability to perform important functions.
Congress and federal workers rely on in-person meetings and travel as indispensable tools to do their jobs effectively. Face-to-face meetings enable successful information sharing, employee training and development, taxpayer services, and collaboration with other agencies and private-sector partners in a way that cannot be accomplished by other means.”
Citing government meetings research commissioned by MMB earlier this year shows that in-person meetings, conferences and events provide tremendous value to federal agency workers and enable them to do their work more efficiently and effectively. Nine out of 10 federal workers believe that in-person meetings, conferences and other face-to-face events are important for advancing the mission of their agencies.
In addition, data by Rockport Analytics – a leading economic consulting firm – suggests that cancelling government participation in meetings and conferences can actually cost taxpayers more in the end. It also creates “unintended consequences for local and regional economies,” including those in Fitzpatrick’s home state. In Pennsylvania, meetings and business travel contributed $6.3 billion to the state economy in 2013 and accounted for more than 300,000 jobs.
“MMB is committed to being vigilant and appropriately vocal on this issue,” said Michael Dominguez, MMB co-chair and senior vice president of corporate sales at MGM Resorts International. “We welcome the opportunity to work with Rep. Fitzpatrick to improve the bill and serve the public interest.”
