Daily Policy Digest
Federal Spending & Budget Issues
February 4, 2008
CONGRESS' PORK OVERLOAD
Last month, Congress passed a 3,500-page omnibus spending bill after less than 24 hours for review. The bill, which mostly renewed funding for existing programs, contained more than 9000 "earmarks" -- worth at least $7.4 billion -- for legislators' pet projects, including:
- Olive fruit fly research in France: $213,000.
- Center for Grape Genetics in Geneva, N.Y.: $1.9 million.
- Fish-waste research in Alaska: $2.5 million.
- Awning renovations in Roanoke, Va.: $250,000.
- Cormorant control in Vermont, Michigan, Mississippi and New York: $1.2 million.
Of course, one legislator's pork is another's priority. For example, it is critical to study olive fruit flies, says Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), the earmark's sponsor, since they're the biggest threat to the U.S. olive crop.
The real problem with earmarks, says Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), is that "they circumvent the normal process," since they typically are placed in bills without discussion. Thus, lawmakers never get to debate them and find out if they're genuinely necessary -- or just more pork.
Source: Lyric Wallwork Winik and Daryl Chen, "Congress' Pork Overload," Parade.com, January 27, 2008.
For text:
http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2008/edition_01-27-2008/Intelligence_Report
For more on Federal Spending & Budget Issues:
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_Category=25
