January's Porkers of the Month
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has named its January porkers -- Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), and John Kerry (D-Massachusetts). According to CAGW, the three worthies were selected as January’s porkers for:
“ . . . urging the Pentagon to release taxpayer funds to continue development work on General Electric’s alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter. The alternate engine has been criticized as wasteful and unnecessary by taxpayers, the Bush and Obama Administrations, and numerous top military officials. Sens. Brown and Kerry represent states where the engine will be developed and built.”
In naming the three, CAGW said:
“CAGW has long opposed the alternate engine. On May 20, 2010, Defense Secretary Robert Gates made it clear that he will recommend that the President veto any legislation that includes funding for the alternate engine, a pledge that has been reiterated by the White House. Additionally, in a January 6, 2011 speech about military’s budget, Secretary Gates said that spending limited resources on the alternate engine constitutes excess overhead and is an unneeded program.
“The alternate engine is currently on life support and has been funded off and on with anonymous earmarks since fiscal year 2004. The project is currently being funded through a continuing resolution which expires on March 4, 2011.
“The alternate engine has been a $3 billion boondoggle and taxpayers should not sink one more dime of limited resources into this failed project. This program has become the epitome of senseless government waste, diverting resources away from other important military projects and expenditures that keep the nation and our troops safe and secure,” said CAGW President Tom Schatz. “The only general who supports the alternate engine is General Electric.”
You can also view Porker of the Month on video, which is co-produced with Reason.tv -- on the CAGW homepage or here at Reason.tv. You can reach the three Senators on Capitol Hill at their Washington offices:
- Senator Sherrod Brown -- 202-224-2315
- Senator Patrick Leahy -- 202-224-4242
- Senator John Kerry -- 202-224-2742