Washington, D.C. – Citizens Against Government Waste today released its preliminary analysis of the House version of the fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor/HHS/Education) Appropriations Act.  There are 1,130 projects worth $357.4 million.  This represents a 17 percent decrease in number of projects, and a 42 percent decrease in dollar amounts from the fiscal year 2009 version, which had 1,370 projects totaling $618.8 million.  House Appropriations and Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) earmarked $4.4 million for nine projects and House Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) took $4 million for 10 projects.

Some of the egregious earmarks in the bill include:

• $12,602,000 by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) for the University of Massachusetts Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate.  The institute, created by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), raises funds to build a replica of the United States Senate chamber on the campus of the University of Massachusetts.  This pet project has already received millions of dollars from the healthcare industry and organized labor.  Taxpayers should not be responsible for helping the project reach its $50 million fundraising goal.
• $400,000 by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) for music education programs at Jazz at Lincoln Center.  Rep. Nadler earmarked $381,000 for this project in fiscal year 2009.  At the end of 2006, Jazz at Lincoln Center had a fund balance of $198 million.
• $335,000 by Reps. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) for the Aviation High School in Burien, Washington, a public school that specializes in aviation and aerospace education.
• $300,000 by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) for music education programs at Carnegie Hall in New York City.  How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice, practice, practice (earmarking).
• $250,000 by Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) for the New York Junior Tennis League in Woodside.  The tennis league receives private donations and has its own fundraising programs.  Taxpayers are receiving no love from this earmark.

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