Sen. Reid offering government travel bill

LAS VEGAS, July 30 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., says a bill he has proposed in the U.S. Congress targets bureaucratic attempts to limit the travel destinations of officials.

Reid said his Protecting Resort Cities from Discrimination Act of 2009 is intended to stop government officials from banning official travel to locations deemed a vacation or resort site, the Las Vegas Review-Journal said Thursday.

"If it makes the most sense economically and logistically to hold a meeting in Las Vegas or Reno, then that's where it should be held," the senator said. "Paying more money to hold a meeting in another city for appearances sake is unfair to all U.S. taxpayers and a waste of their money."

The Review-Journal said Reid created the bill following reports of various federal offices choosing staid travel destinations over resort sites for official travel.

The bill, which Reid said will not treat violations as criminal acts, is being co-sponsored by Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.