Nevadan quizzed on Printing Office post

Benjamin Grove

Friday, Oct. 4, 2002 | 9:25 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Nevada printing entrepreneur Bruce James interviewed with the Senate Thursday in a bid to become head of the U.S. Government Printing Office.

James waded cautiously into a controversy roiling the 141-year-old GPO that developed in May when the White House Office of Management and Budget recommended that the federal government's 130 agencies arrange for their own printing. The OMB suggested that the government could save taxpayers millions of dollars contracting out more printing jobs.

"I have not studied this issue," James said in written testimony prepared for the Senate Rules Committee during a hearing today. "As I see it, this is an issue between Congress and the Executive. I'm coming to Washington to follow the law which I will do until you change it."

The 3,500-employee GPO, whose first leader was Benjamin Franklin, is the clearinghouse for government documents. Everything from congressional documents and census forms to tax forms and passports are produced by or through the GPO, according to the agency.

James, who grew up in Cleveland, has lived at Lake Tahoe since his retirement at age 50 in 1993. He has had a life-long fascination with printing. At age 11 he bought his first printing press with paper route money, and had a printing business in high school, with 12 young employees.

He spent nearly 30 years in the printing business, founded several printing enterprises and became a millionaire.

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who in 1998 ran against James in a GOP primary, praised him as a visionary at the Senate hearing.

"This is not a political appointment," Ensign said later. "He knows the industry. He has the expertise to save the government a lot of money."

It is not clear when the full Senate might act to confirm James, especially with time running short and much business to be completed in the legislative year. Ensign said he was hopeful No. 2 Senate Democrat Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., could prod the Senate to act soon.

In other confirmation news, Ensign said Jay Bybee, his nominee to serve on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is snared in political wrangling in the Senate over judicial nominees. Ensign said he was frustrated that Bybee, a former UNLV professor, won't be confirmed this year.