Pork Alert: Senate Labor/HHS/Education

Washington, D.C. – Citizens Against Government Waste today released its preliminary analysis of the Senate version of the fiscal year 2011 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor/HHS) Appropriations Act.  The bill contains funding for 729 projects worth $580,889,000.  Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) earmarked $48,117,000 for 61 projects, 8.3 percent of the total pork in the bill.

Some of the egregious earmarks in the bill include:

• $15,000,000 by Senate appropriator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) to purchase facilities and equipment for the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa. With an endowment of more than $516 million, the university can easily meet its own needs.

• $6,000,000 by Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) to continue the Iowa Department of Education Harkin Grant program.  Since 2005, $32,633,000 has been earmarked for this narcissistic program.

• $5,600,000 by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for the University of Louisville (UL) Research Foundation.  UL has an endowment of more than $783 million. 

• $4,850,000 by 13 senators for 18 museum and library projects in six states, including $300,000 by Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) to automate the circulation system in the Cedar Rapids Library and $100,000 by Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) for the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Transportation Museum in Columbus.

• $2,600,000 for union programs, including $1,000,000 by Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) for the AFL-CIO Working for America Institute.  According to the August 4th Washington Examiner, the AFL-CIO plans to spend more than $50 million over the next 90 days to help Democratic politicians. 

• $150,000 by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for two earmarks benefitting the Bi-State Primary Care Association in Montpelier. The organization recently announced the establishment of the “Senator Bernie Sanders Leadership Award,” which will presumably recognize those individuals who lead taxpayer dollars into the state. 

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

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