09.09.02

Pierce County Hotels to Benefit from Increased Lodging Reimbursement Rates for Traveling Federal Employees

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) today announced that the per diem rate covering the lodging expenses of federal employees traveling in Pierce County would be raised 44% to $79 per night starting October 1st. The increase, sought by Senator Cantwell on behalf of local businesses, will allow twenty-six Pierce County hotels to compete for business from federal workers who travel to the Puget Sound region each year.

"Increasing lodging reimbursement rates will provide an economic boost for Tacoma's downtown and all of Pierce County," Cantwell said. "By raising the per diem for Pierce County, the federal government has helped level the playing field."

The per diem rate is an allowance for lodging, meals, and related incidental expenses, excluding taxes. Per diem rates are established annually by the federal General Services Administration (GSA) for travelers on official government business. With the per diem rate for lodging $55 in Pierce County and $143 in King County, many travelers to Pierce County on government business were forced to travel the short distance north to King County because the Pierce per diem was not high enough to cover the true cost of staying in a hotel in Pierce County.

In early July, several Chambers of Commerce and hoteliers in Pierce County requested Senator Cantwell's assistance in boosting the lodging per diem for Pierce County. In late July, Senator Cantwell requested that the GSA complete a special survey on hotel properties in Pierce County and to determine whether a boost in the per diem would be appropriate. GSA agreed to Senator Cantwell's request. After completing its survey, GSA determined that a 44% increase in the lodging per diem to $79 was warranted.

Cantwell worked closely with the Tacoma Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, the Lakewood Chamber, and the Chamber of Eastern Pierce County to increase the per diem rate.