GSA facing more questions on spending

Congressional questions about spending by the General Services Administration are growing again, as lawmakers used a House hearing to demand answers about spending on conferences, awards ceremonies, as well as bonuses and large overtime payments for GSA employees.

"I think the question the taxpayer wants answered is, 'Why?'" said Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA), who said investigators were now looking at 77 different award ceremonies held by the GSA around the country.

"All of that is disturbing," said Rep. John Mica (R-FL), who said some of those conferences may not have spent as much as a $270,000 one day award ceremony that triggered Wednesday's hearing, but still spent too much.

"We've got some smaller amounts with significant expenditures, some as high as $2200 a person," said Mica.

The hearing though was spiced with new charges of big spending, focusing this time on bonuses and overtime inside GSA.

"An employee with a base salary of $84,000 - listen to this - got $115,000 in overtime pay," said Mica, who charged that GSA had spent over $40 million on employee bonuses even though the White House had asked agenices to limit such spending.

The revelations were too much for one Democrat from the Washington, D.C. suburbs, who has a big number of federal workers in her district.

"We just can't take it anymore," said an exasperated Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD), who all but plead with GSA officials to realize the damage their agency is doing to federal employees.

"GSA needs to get its house in order," said Edwards, who bluntly told a top GSA official that she was "totally disgusted" with the spending stories coming out of the agency.

Another GSA conference - this time in Nashville

There was more trouble when a top official was asked about a GSA conference going on right now at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville.

"That conference is called the Smart Pay Conference," said Cynthia Metzler, the Chief Administrative Services Officer for the GSA who spent the morning getting knocked around by both parties.

"I understand the Presidential Suite is occupied today," said Rep. Denham. "Is there a GSA employee in the Presidential Suite? It's over $3,000 a night."

"I don't know," said Metzler. "I would hope not."

"Those room are not to be occupied by GSA employees," Metzler added, whose office started approving GSA conferences earlier this year.

"I think you and I both know there is not going to be good news out of this conference," said Rep. Tim Walz (D-MN).

"Somebody is staying in that damn suite tonight, I would almost guarantee you," said Walz, another Democrat who showed visible frustration with the GSA.