(Washington, D.C.) – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today blasted Congress for its jet-setting ways at a time when the deficit soared by $181 billion to a record $1.3 trillion in the month of July, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).  The figures include an estimate of a $1.8 trillion deficit for the entire fiscal year ending September 30, more than three times the then-record $455 billion deficit for fiscal year 2009.  The news comes during a combustible August recess, when taxpayers are reacting negatively to a congressional healthcare reform plan that CBO says will cost $1 trillion over 10 years, without having settled how to pay for the coverage.  News reports have also revealed that Congress wants to spend $550 million to procure eight new corporate jets to ferry senior government officials, including $130 million in earmarks for two of the jets.

 “Taxpayers have had it,” said CAGW President Tom Schatz.  “The CBO numbers only confirm what they have known for months:  this Congress is starting to resemble the Emperor Nero, fiddling around while the taxpayers get burned.  Large congressional delegations from both parties are jet-setting around the world on the taxpayers’ dimes, including 12 to Germany alone; big spenders in Congress want to purchase eight new corporate jets even though they already have 24 for such purposes; and the Democratic leadership is determined to force through a massive and costly government intrusion into the healthcare system, all on borrowed money.  With no sense of irony or responsibility, the first vote Congress will consider after the August recess is an increase in the debt ceiling.”

According to The Hill on August 8, CBO reported that, “Spending through July of 2009 has increased by $530 billion, which is 21 percent over the same period in 2008.  The bailout money for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae accounted for almost half of the spending increase.  Unemployment benefits have more than doubled, Medicaid spending has grown by a quarter and Medicare spending has increased by 11 percent.”

“The biggest problem in Washington, D.C. is out-of-control spending and an unreformed, unrepentant culture of waste.  That explains the dismissive attitude of some members of Congress toward the people who are attending their town hall meetings to have their voices heard.  It is a disgrace,” concluded Schatz.

House appropriators included $550 million on passenger jets in the fiscal 2010 Defense Appropriations Act, which was more than double the President’s budget request for $220 million to buy a total of four.  According to Roll Call, Reps. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) and Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) both requested earmarks for a plane, but Rep. Kingston’s office claims that his request was not added to the final appropriations bill.  Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-Mo.) and John Thune (R-S.D.). have spoken out against the jet purchases and say they plan to strip the money for the new jets when the Defense Appropriations bill is considered in the Senate.

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.