Latest Batch of Congressional Porkers Named
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement in government, recently named its June Porkers of the Month, “a dubious honor given to lawmakers, government officials, and political candidates who have shown a blatant disregard for the interests of taxpayers.”
According to their press release, CAGW:
“named all 18 members of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Porkers of the Month for rejecting every credible proposal for reform of farm subsidy programs, and instead unanimously voting to extend the current archaic, costly, and wasteful system.”
And what was the committee's response to CAGW’s decision? Believe it or not:
“Subcommittee Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) said, “I believe the work of the Subcommittee today was a step in the right direction. The work we accomplished today reinstituted the safety net of the previous Farm Bill that many producers are comfortable with.” Subcommittee member Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) suggested that his Agriculture Committee colleagues "circle the wagons" against reforms to the current system.
The special interests are pleased, however, as CAGW noted:
“Of course the farm lobby and subcommittee members are content with a continuation of the most expensive farm subsidy payments in history, which has cost taxpayers an average of $20 billion annually for the last five years. Farm income is soaring along with land values, so only in Washington does it make sense to give farmers more handouts at the taxpayers’ expense. Payments in the districts of the 18 subcommittee members totaled $10 billion from 2003-2005, according to the Environmental Working Group.”
Don’t be part of America’s forgotten taxpayers. Voice your outrage at this profligacy. Fight the special interests. CAGW conveniently provides links to each committee member’s official webpage. Citizens turned around the Senate’s amnesty bill; we can do the same with Congressional spending. Use the EWG data base to learn who is farming in your city or county. You wouldn't believe how many farmers there are in Arlington County, Virginia. And you thought there was no farmland left, eh?