Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. introduced a bill that would block the National Science Foundation from funding a study into how Congress members “interact with each other.”
The bill is an example of government waste, Norman said in a press release.
The congressman introduced the bill as part of an initiative titled #WastefulWednesday, in which he will introduce legislation each Wednesday that targets federal government spending.
"The bill introduced today prohibits the National Science Foundation from studying how members of Congress interact with each other. Over the last year, NSF has spent more than $300,000 of taxpayer funds studying the impact of Dear Colleagues letters, which are written and sent amongst Members of Congress and describe pieces of legislation each office is working on," Norman’s press release said.
"This is not a matter of national concern worth of hundreds of thousands of dollars. NSF should allocate its grant funds to research that will benefit everyday Americans," the press release said.
The study analyzes communications that Congress members have written to their colleagues about legislation, which have been in common practice in Washington since the 19th century, Newsweek reported.
One of the study’s leaders, Janet Box-Steffensmeier, defended the study. "The insights gained from this research will help members of Congress focus their work on behalf of their constituents and help Americans better understand the work their government does for them,” she told Newsweek.
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