It’s Only Taxpayers Money
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has released preliminary analyses of several FY 2010 spending bills, including earmarks in the Defense Department’s conference report. According to a December 18, 2009 press release, they report the bill contains 1,719 projects worth $7.6 billion. However, they note the FY 2010 bill is the first time since 2002 “that defense earmarks are below $9 billion.
Some of the waste described in the CAGW press release includes the following:
- “$3,385,000,000 added anonymously for four projects. This figure equates to 44.7 percent of the dollar amount included for earmarks in the bill. According to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, signed into law on September 14, 2007 by President George W. Bush, members of Congress are required to add their name to each earmark. However, they continue to violate this law by adding anonymous earmarks to fund projects – often big-ticket items – at the expense of taxpayers."
- “$2,500,000,000 added anonymously for ten additional C-17 aircraft. In a floor statement posted on his website, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) voiced his opposition to the C-17 funding: “[w]hat we would do in this bill is effectively fund the purchase of new aircraft that we neither need nor can afford with critical sustainment money. That would have a significant impact on our ability to provide the day-to-day operational funding that our servicemen and women and their families deserve.
- “$465,000,000 added anonymously for the F136 alternate engine program. According to a November 10, 2009 Reuters article, deliveries of the F136 alternate engine will be delayed by one year. Built by General Electric and Rolls-Royce, the alternate engine program has had two major setbacks in as many months. In October, F136 testing was halted when a nut came loose, damaging turbine blades in the engine. Top military officials, former President Bush, President Obama, the Office of Management and Budget, and independent analysts all agree that the alternate engine should be eliminated. The project is expensive, unnecessary, and only survives because of pork-barrel politics.”
Browse through the other press releases from 2009 for more examples of how members of Congress waste our tax money.