Kill bedbugs -- no joke

Rep. G.K. Butterfield has bedbugs on his mind.

May 19, 2008

Butterfield, a Wilson Democrat, has sponsored the Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2008, which would establish a grant program so states can establish inspection, prevention and eradication of the blood- sucking pests. States would have to require the inspection of at least 20 percent of their hotel rooms.

"Unfortunately, it's not a joke," Butterfield said in a news release. "Fifty years after being virtually eliminated, bed bugs are back all across the country."

Butterfield's news release said there are numerous news reports indicating that bedbugs are showing up in some of the country's finest hotels, such as the Ramada Plaza in San Francisco, the five-star Westin resort in Hollywood, Fla., and the Regency Inn and Suites in New York City.

The money would come from within the U.S. Department of Commerce's existing budget.

Butterfield said eliminating bedbugs from hotels is important because they can be the source of a home infestation.