Oink, Oink Say the Congressmen
Posted by Bobby Eberle
April 3, 2008 at 6:30 am

It's that time of year again. Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) released the annual "Pig Book" which highlights the pork projects (earmarks) going around in Congress. From $1.5 million for a fruit lab to $7.5 million for grape and wine research to $4.8 million for "wood utilization research," the number of projects and money spent on them continue to grow. According to CAGW, for fiscal year 2008, 11,610 projects were jammed into 12 appropriations bills totaling $17.2 billion. The 11,610 projects represent the second highest earmark total ever! So much for Congress being accountable to the taxpayers.

CAGW notes that the earmark projects "represent a 337 percent increase over the 2,658 projects in fiscal year 2007. The $17.2 billion is a 30 percent increase
over the fiscal year 2007 total of $13.2 billion." In addition to the wasteful spending and taxpayer money being drained out of the economy, the "Pig Book" is also a painful reminder of the power of the "dark side." Republicans started their revolution by running as reformers and vowing to cut these pork-barrel projects. However, after tasting power, the spending continued. Republicans in Congress wrote the bills and, together with Democrats, packed them with taxpayer-funded pork. The bills were then sent down the street to the White House where President Bush signed them all.


Now, in his last year in office, the president is calling for spending restraint. Other Republicans are stepping forward and supporting earmark reform. This still can be and should be a core issue for Republicans. It's not too late to clean up Washington, and Republicans can go a long way to renewing the faith of conservatives by actually acting conservative and outlawing the pork.

CAGW reminds us that at least some Republicans are trying to change the culture of Washington:

If Washington, D.C. were to export a commodity, it would be rhetoric. Politicians especially love to talk about fiscal responsibility. On March 13, 2008 the Senate had an opportunity to test that rhetoric when Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) offered an amendment to impose a one-year moratorium on earmarks. Pork beat talk as the measure failed by a vote of 29-71.

In the House of Representatives, Republicans want a one-year moratorium but will not unilaterally disarm. Democrats won’t agree because of objections from big porkers such as House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.). On February 11, 2008, Roll Call noted, “Every private entity that received a special project from the Pennsylvania Democrat in last year’s defense spending bill had given him political money at some point since 2005.â€