(Washington, D.C.) – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today joined four other conservative organizations in criticizing the out-of-control spending in supplemental appropriations.  President Bush requested $92 billion in emergency spending for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and hurricane recovery.  The House passed a $92 billion bill last month, while the Senate will consider a $106.5 billion version this week.

“The Senate supplemental bill is yet another example of Congress’s excessive spending and addiction to pork,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “Congress uses emergency legislation to fund projects and programs that would not stand up to scrutiny of the regular budget process.”    

The Senate has added $14 billion to the President’s spending request.  Supplemental appropriations bills are exempt from spending caps and other budget controls.  The definition of “emergency” spending has expanded to become a convenient excuse for congressional profligacy.  Both the House and Senate bills include funding for items unrelated to war and hurricane recovery.  The Senate bill includes $700 million to relocate the newly repaired CSX rail line (the “Railway to Nowhere”), $594 million for highway spending mostly unrelated to Hurricane Katrina, and $20 million for AmeriCorps.

“Congress should remove the pork and bloat from the final version of this supplemental and move forward with budget reforms.  The proposed line-item veto and forcing emergency spending to be offset with budget cuts would help prevent the routine abuse of the emergency loophole,” said Schatz.

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