House delays posting expenses online

WASHINGTON, July 3 (UPI) -- Details of expenses claimed by U.S. House members won't be available online until mid-November at the earliest, the House panel said.

The Committee on House Administration, the panel that oversees the House's operations, said in a statement Thursday it encountered "several security and support issues" that would delay the Internet publication of the claims, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

In its statement, the committee said the first claims posted online would cover the third quarter of 2009, and would appear "as soon as possible" after Sept. 30, when the quarter ends.

The panel said the House was concerned about the server's ability to meet the expected surge in online activity once the expenses are posted. The panel said it also wanted to make sure enough support was available to answer inquiries.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California set an Aug. 31 deadline to post expense account information online. The announcement came after a series of Journal articles on extravagant expenses claimed by congressional offices.

The U.S. Senate hasn't announced any plans to put its expense claims online.