March 15, 2007
Congress Hijacks Troop Funding for Pork
by Brian M. Riedl
WebMemo #1397
As federal spending nears $24,000 per household, the House of Representatives took the President's vital national security supplemental bill and larded it up with $21 billion in unrelated spending, bringing its total cost to $124 billion.[1] This blatant abuse of the emergency spending budget tool is a strong signal that the new congressional leadership's pledge of fiscal restraint will be short-lived. This legislation holds U.S. troops hostage to a host of special interest spending. With an average cost of $721 million per each of its 172 pages, this bill could be the most expensive emergency legislation in American history. Moreover, Congress is using this vital troop spending bill as a vehicle to debate war strategy. Instead of getting bogged down in that debate, Congress needs to focus on getting needed funds to the troops on the front lines.
Another Farm Bailout
After averaging $10 billion throughout the 1990s, annual spending on farm subsidies has doubled to an average of $20 billion in the current decade following the passage of the most expensive farm bill in American history in 2002. Despite that net farm income broke records between 2003 and 2006, the supplemental would provide $4 billion more in nationwide agriculture disaster assistance. These funds were not requested by the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
And that $4 billion in subsidies is not all. Congress would also provide:
$25 million for spinach growers;
$100 million for citrus growers;
$25 million for livestock farmers;
$74 million for peanut storage; and
$283 million in milk subsidies.
Other Subsidies
The spending spree extends well beyond farm subsidies. It also includes:
$120 million for the shrimp and menhaden fishing industries;
$60 million for fisheries;
$35 million for NASA;
$5 million for those engaged in "breeding, rearing, or transporting live fish" ;
$6.4 million for additional salaries and expenses for the House of Representatives; and
$16 million for additional office space for the House of Representatives.
Furthermore, discretionary programs are not starved for funding. From 2001 through 2006, non-security discretionary spending has increased by 40 percent (21 percent after inflation). In fact, since 1990, non-security discretionary spending has increased three times faster than defense and homeland security spending.[6] In particular, recent discretionary spending increases for education and health have been among the largest ever. At the same time, Congress continues to appropriate money to wasteful and unnecessary programs like the Advanced Technology Program, which spends much of its $150 million budget subsidizing Fortune 500 companies.[7] The combination of recent spending increases and wasteful spending mean Congress should have plenty of room to be able to work within the actual discretionary spending caps that it set in the CR/Omnibus.
i am not saying that this is only the democrats doing this but they are the ones in charge right now.
WWW Linkand the democrats want to raise taxes. why so they can spend even more on pork. the president was right. NO NEW TAXES UNTIL CONGRESS STOPS SPENDING IT ON CRAP.