Washington, DC – The latest General Services Administration (GSA) scandal, the one-day awards ceremony in November 2010 that cost taxpayers more than a quarter of a million dollars – and other GSA abuses of the taxpayers will be the focus of a Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure hearing on Wednesday.

The Committee and the GSA Inspector General are conducting investigations of the 2010 GSA awards ceremony held in the Washington, DC area. The GSA IG has estimated the ceremony cost a total of $268,732. Costs included over $20,000 for catering, a $7,600 commissioners reception, $28,000 for time temperature picture frames, $7,800 for shadowbox picture frames, and even $20,000 to give drumsticks to attendees.

In addition, the Inspector General and the Committee are investigating other GSA misuses of taxpayer funds, including other conferences and unnecessary travel to exotic locations, exorbitant employee bonuses, and the agency’s recent decision to sign a lease for federal office space without the required approval of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Wednesday’s hearing will review the mismanagement and wasteful spending of GSA, and further examine the potential for reforming the agency. For additional information about the hearing, click here.

WHAT: Hearing of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. Rep. John Mica (R-FL), Chairman, “GSA: A Review of Agency Mismanagement and Wasteful Spending – Part 2”

WHEN: 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, August 1, 2012 (note the updated hearing time)

WHERE: 2167 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
A live webcast of the hearing will be available here

WITNESS:
• Ms. Cynthia Metzler, Chief Administrative Services Officer, U.S. General Services Administration
• The Honorable Brian Miller, Inspector General, U.S. General Services Administration

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