“Resolution would be a giant step towards fiscal responsibility,” says Schatz

(Washington, D.C.) The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today applauded Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for introducing legislation, S. Res. 173, that will make it easier to remove earmarks from appropriations bills.  Members of Congress often use earmarks to circumvent the budget process and insert pork-barrel projects that benefit only their districts and states.  Sen. McCain has long been an opponent of this abuse.

“Sen. McCain’s resolution is a good start to help reduce frivolous spending by Congress,” CCAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “In the fiscal 2003 budget there was a record $22.5 billion in pork-barrel spending.  Congress put aside the fact that the country was fighting the War on Terror, on the brink of war with Iraq, and facing a downward economy.  Instead, legislators spent $90,000 on the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and $1 million for DNA testing of bears, among other wasteful earmarks.  This resolution will make it difficult to add this type of spending in the future.”

The resolution is co-sponsored by Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.).  It allows senators to object to earmarks by raising a point of order.  Once a point of order has been raised, the earmark needs 60 votes in order to remain in the spending bill.

“Sen. McCain has long championed the need to rid the budget of pork-barrel spending,” Schatz continued.  “With a deficit of $400 billion, we hope that other senators join Sen. McCain and the resolution’s co-sponsors by passing S. Res. 173.  Unfortunately, those infected with spending fever have already mounted an aggressive campaign to stop the resolution from reaching the Senate floor.  Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) has even vowed to filibuster the resolution if it were to get that far.”

For the last 19 years, CCAGW has been the premier taxpayer watchdog fighting against pork-barrel spending.  Sen. McCain has helped CCAGW’s educational arm, Citizens Against Government Waste, release its annual Congressional Pig Book, for the past decade.  In fiscal 2003, the Pig Book identified 9,362 pork projects, an increase of 48 percent over the last two years.

“Taxpayers should commend Sen. McCain for his continued commitment to fighting pork,” Schatz concluded.  “Through his work, the gorging at the trough could finally come to an end.”

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.