LAS VEGAS (AP) - Nevada Sen. Harry Reid is asking federal agencies not to rule out cost-effective destinations for meetings just because they are popular spots for tourists.
Reid wrote Monday to cabinet secretaries and the heads of all federal agencies to tell them to get in line with White House views articulated earlier this month in a letter from Rahm Emanuel, President Barack Obama's chief of staff.
The Democratic Senate majority leader says guidelines that say resort and vacation destinations should not be considered for official meetings and government travel are inappropriate.
Emanuel said in his letter to Reid that government travel should be tested by asking what will be accomplished on the trip and evaluating whether costs are reasonable compared with other options.