Congress Dishes Meager Pork Rations, According to Latest Pig Book
WASTE
Bangor Daily News
Carlene Olsen
Boston University Washington News Service
3/7/07
WASHINGTON, March 7 – In Congress, pork-barrel spending is down as members have brought home the least amount of bacon since 1999 in the form of special government spending projects this year, according to a report released Wednesday.
The 2007 Congressional Pig Book, compiled by Citizens Against Government Waste, a non-profit, non-partisan organization, deems government spending that is not specifically authorized or requested as pork.
Pork-barrel spending totaled $13.2 billion this year, down from $29 billion in 2006, for projects that include improving vegetable shelf life, researching extra-terrestrial intelligence and combating obesity in the military.
But unlike previous annual reports, this year’s was confined to the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security. Spending bills for those two departments were the only ones Congress passed last year. Money for all other agencies and programs were included in one “omnibus” spending bill enacted this year after congressional leaders imposed a moratorium on earmarks, or money included in the budget inappropriately, according to Citizens Against Government Waste.
At a news conference, Tom Schatz, president of the organization, called pork-barrel projects the “gateway drug to wasteful spending” and said such funds should be stopped
Defense pork spending totaled $10.8 billion and Homeland Security pork totaled $2.4 billion in 2007, according to the organization.
“It’s not clear why all this money is flowing through the Department of Defense for all this research,” said Schatz, who sported a pig tie.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a long-time advocate of earmark reform, said at the news conference that though President Bush is now committed to cut back such spending, there is a long way to go.
“I don’t think the Republican Party lost the election because of the war in Iraq,” McCain said. “I think the Republican Party lost the last election because of our failure to control spending and the earmarking, which then led to corruption.”
Democratic Rep. Michael Michaud of the 2nd District said in a statement that pork spending “grew out of control” under the previous leadership, though some federal spending projects benefit the state.
“The creation of the Army Center of Excellence at the University of Maine in Orono is a real success story,” he said. “Through federal investment, research efforts at the Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center have produced a product that will be used to protect our troops in the field by up-armoring tents.”
Pork projects in Maine totaled $37.8 million in 2006, averaging $28.57 per capita, below the national average of $30.55. This year, the report did not offer a state by state breakdown because many of the projects were not area-specific, a spokesman for Citizens Against Government Waste said.
“I will continue to fight against government waste and to make sure that our tax dollars are spent wisely,” Michaud said. “At the same time, I will also continue to advocate for appropriate federal investments in high-priority needs in Maine.”
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