Oklahoma GOP Sen. Tom Coburn says the two gatherings will be weeklong, taxpayer-financed parties. A longtime critic of spending he considers wasteful, Coburn is comparing the expenditures to recent revelations about a lavish conference the General Services Administration held in Las Vegas.

 

A Republican Party spokeswoman defended the gathering and said Coburn should use the legislative process if he has ideas on how to help the parties pay for their national conventions. The Democratic Party did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

 

Each party has received $17.7 million for this summer's conventions.