Staff Reports
Congress is once again up to its old tricks – sneaking in hundreds of pages of earmarks into the compromise deal to fund the federal government. The more than 1,000-page deal is packed with pork, totaling a whopping $435 million. Earmarks, also known as pork, are the Democrats’ favorite way of splurging federal tax dollars on local projects to win votes from hesitant lawmakers. This practice, which was banned for a time, has made a strong comeback in recent years, and the latest funding bill is laced with it.
Federal funding package includes litany of pork projects
The more than 1,000-page deal includes six appropriations bills that total $435 million and earmarks, also known as pork – a practice of allocating federal tax dollars to local spending projects often used to win votes from…— Ken (@koloj51) March 5, 2024
The shocking bill includes funding for renovating the William Way LGBT Community Center in Philadelphia, courtesy of Pennsylvania Democrats Bob Casey and John Fetterman. This is nothing but a political payoff, and it’s not the only one. The city of Norwalk in California is getting $850,000 for a “Bus Stop Equity Project” at the request of California Democrats. These earmarks pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into each project and are nothing more than a colossal waste of taxpayer money.
Not to be outdone, there is bipartisan pork in the mix, too. New York’s Village of Richfield Springs is set to receive $1.5 million for improvements to a fire station, a request by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik and Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
The lawmakers are set to vote on this wasteful spending package in the House, but the votes are as unstable as a Jenga tower. The shifty Democrats managed to rally just enough support to prolong the government and keep the pork flowing. They are proud to keep the government open without any cuts or what they call “poison pill riders,” which are essential legislative victories that Republicans were pushing for.
Republicans were hoping to block liberal agendas, including funding for red flag laws and mail-in chemical abortion pills, as well as taxpayer dollars going toward prosecuting a presidential candidate. These are critical issues that should not be overlooked, but the Democrats are shamelessly making them a part of their pet projects.
Republican Sen. Mike Lee was quick to point out these flaws and didn’t hold back in blasting the legislation for including earmarks. His voice was echoed by nearly 100 lawmakers in the House who voted against the one-week stopgap extension last Friday. But the removal of key conservative policy goals seems to have emboldened the opposition, and the Republicans are not going down without a fight.
Senate Republicans are raising concerns about the content of the new package, with Sen. Rick Scott calling out the inclusion of 605 pages of earmarks in the bills. This is an outrageous abuse of power and a disgrace to the hardworking taxpayers of this country.
As for Republican leadership, they’re doing their best to spin this mess in their favor. House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger is touting the strategic increase in defense spending and cuts to wasteful non-defense programs. But the American people see through this smoke and mirrors. It’s time to put an end to this reckless and self-serving spending and demand accountability from our elected officials.
