Thousands of federal workers are paying their government travel bills late, and a handful are using their government travel charge cards to pay for personal items and trips, federal officials told lawmakers Tuesday. The 1998 Travel and Transportation Reform Act ordered the General Services Administration to require federal employees to use government charge cards, instead of personal credit cards, for travel expenses. Ideally, the law would allow agencies to take advantage of rebates offered by charge card companies, officials said at a House hearing. The more the government uses travel charge cards, the more money agencies can earn back in rebates. But, while employees are using the government cards, they're not always using them correctly.
Agencies can earn millions of dollars in rebates when they pay their bills early and electronically.
In most cases, agencies reimburse employees for travel expenses and then the employees pay the bills. During an investigation of travel charge card misuse at the Corporation for National and Community Service, eight employees admitted to using their cards for improper expenses, such as a hotel room in another state for family members, a family vacation, medicine for a parent and personal gifts. Click here for the full story. All rights reserved.