When the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was established in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, lawmakers decreed that the new House and Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittees would not accept earmark requests. The decision to keep earmarking out of DHS funding decisions seemed to show that members of Congress truly believed in protecting national security. It also made the point that elected officials in Washington know how easy it is for opportunistic legislators to leverage a crisis for parochial benefit.
Progress in Campaign to End MEADS
Created in 1995, the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) is a collaborative missile defense project intended to replace the Patriot Missile system, which has been used by the U.S. and its allies for decades. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S., Germany, and Italy required that the U.S. pony up 58 percent of the development costs, with Germany covering 25 percent and Italy paying 17 percent. The U.S. has already spent $1.9 billion on the design and development phase of MEADS, but the program has been plagued with cost overruns of $2 billion and is 10 years behind schedule.
Victory!
On February 16, 2011 taxpayers and the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) scored a major victory when the House of Representatives voted 233-198 to kill funding for the alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter as part of H.R. 1, the Full-Year Continuing Resolution (CR) for fiscal year (FY) 2011. The CR, which cut $100 billion from President Obama’s FY 2011 budget (equal to $61 billion from fiscal year 2010 approved spending levels), was approved by a vote of 235-189. The CR contained 61 spending cuts worth $9.9 billion were either identical or similar to recommendations in CAGW’s Prime Cuts.
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.
Air Force Tanker Struggling to Lift Off
Replacing the aging fleet of aerial refueling tankers has been an Air Force priority since 2002. In that year, Congress approved funding for Boeing to lease up to 100 767s to replace the 50-year-old KC-135 tankers. However, the deal fell apart in a 2004 bribery scandal in which a top Pentagon procurement officer and a senior Boeing official were convicted and served prison sentences.
Carolina on Taxpayers Minds
Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) has never been accused of being a fiscal hawk. In fact, he is quite well known for bringing home the bacon. CAGW’s 2010 Congressional Pig Book documented 41 earmarks worth $55 million requested by Rep. Clyburn.
Government Acquisition Waste
When purchasing necessary items, the government buys from private businesses, both large and small. For contracts greater than $100,000, companies go through a convoluted and highly regulated bidding process, which allows losing bidders to file a protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The protest filing procedures are complicated and costly. Although the number of […]
Pigs on the Wing–The Aerial Refueling Tanker Contract Dispute Continues
The battle to build the Air Force’s next generation of aerial refueling tankers continues to fuel wasteful lobbying and insider dealing in Washington D.C. The $35 billion deal is as closely contested as ever, which is no surprise given the amount of money at stake. Defense Industry Daily’s initial valuation of the program in January 2007 predicted the contracts could exceed $100 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.).