After years of feeding at the trough, it appears that some members of Congress are not adapting well to the newly imposed two-year earmark moratorium. Despite affirmation by congressional leaders that earmarks will not exist in the 112th Congress, the pork addicts are chafing under the new strictures.
Future of Earmarks Remains Vague
Predicting the future of earmarks can be a bit like peering into a crystal ball.
Planned Spending Cuts Do Not Include Defense
One of the top priorities of the Republican’s campaign to take back Congress in 2010 was to reduce the deficit by cutting spending. Republican leaders intended to return nondefense discretionary spending to 2008 levels by trimming $100 billion in the first fiscal year.
The Consumer Police and Sin Taxes
There have always been and will always be some people who believe they know what is best for everyone, so they try to force their will on the rest of society. This attitude is very much at odds withthe philosophy that liberty should be maximized and that people should be allowed to live their lives as they would like as long as they are not infringing on the rights of others.In recent years, the “we know best” crowd has expanded the number of activities that they believe need policing far beyond the traditional sins that have been targeted for decades and even centuries.
Port Earmark Divides South Carolina Senators
Citing the need to modernize the Port of Charleston, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) submitted a $400,000 earmark to the Senate version of the fiscal year 2011 Energy and Water Appropriations Act to study the port’s potential deepening. However, the Senate Appropriations Committee rejected the project.
Billions Wasted in Iraq
When President Obama marked the end of combat operations in Iraq in a speech on August 31, 2010, he spoke at length on America’s lasting legacy in the country. Unfortunately for taxpayers, part of that legacy includes billions in waste, dating back to the beginning of the reconstruction effort.
Time to Revisit the Benefits of $1 Coins
On April 21, 2010, the U.S. Treasury released its new version of the $100 bill. Featuring an updated portrait of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, the bill boasts advanced measures to obstruct counterfeiters. However, while the federal government has recently focused on this large tender, more attention needs to be paid to the other end of the currency spectrum: the $1 coin.
To Infinite and Beyond!
In 2004, former President George W. Bush announced his “Vision for Space Exploration.” In it he called for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop new spaceflight vehicles as part of the Constellation Program that would aim to return humans to the Moon by 2020. The estimated budget for implementing this program, according to a July 17, 2006 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, was nearly $230 billion.
The Ongoing Tanker Saga
The long saga of the Air Force refueling tanker may be coming to an end soon; or maybe not. The latest request for proposal is due to be released shortly, and hearings this week on Capitol Hill indicate the battle may not be over.
The Many Perks of Congressional Employment
Supposedly in Denmark to attend the Copenhagen Climate Summit, multiple members of Congress have been criticized for treating the trip as a personal vacation. The trip included seven Republicans and 15 Democrats, most notably House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).