Ostensibly in Scotland to partake in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, several members of Congress are coming under fire for using the trip as a personal vacation. Led by Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) the group, consisting of 12 representatives (eight Democrats, four Republicans), nine of the members’ spouses, and five legislative aides, stayed in a $300-per night hotel overlooking the Edinburgh Castle. In addition to the rooms required to lodge participants, the group rented three additional rooms, which were stocked with “…liquor, Coors beer, chips and salsa, sandwiches, Mrs. Fields cookies and York Peppermint Patties…,” according to a December 17, 2009 article in The Wall Street Journal. Adding to the expense, the group flew on a plane provided by the Air Force.
U.S. to File Concerns Over Google Book Pact
The Justice Department is expected Friday to outline a range of concerns it has about a settlement that Google Inc. struck with authors and publishers over the rights to distribute digital copies of certain works, according to people familiar with the matter. The Justice Department will submit those concerns in a filing to the U.S. […]
Public Outrage Grounds Congressional Jets
In 2005, Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) tried to fund the infamous “Bridge to Nowhere,” which would have connected the mainland of Alaska to an island of only 50 people. After the bridge became the “poster child” for pork and taxpayers expressed their disdain, funding for the “Bridge to Nowhere” was eliminated.
The Devil is in the Details of the Healthcare Bills, Or Not
President Obama and congressional Democrats have been playing defense on healthcare reform throughout the month of August as congressional town hall meetings across the country have erupted in anger and frustration. A favorite theme in the President’s and his allies’ speeches is that Americans have been manipulated and exploited by opponents of his healthcare initiatives, jack-booted obstructionists who are peddling falsehoods about what is actually in the bills.
Beach Houses: Owned By the Rich, Paid For By Everyone
Washington’s next fiscal giveaway: a bailout for wealthy homeowners living along risky, hurricane-prone coastlines. Attempting to find a solution to rising homeowners’ insurance rates, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on July 2, 2009 to discuss the Homeowners’ Defense Act as a possible solution.
Obama’s $106 Billion War Supplemental
On April 9, 2009, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a summary of the administration’s proposed fiscal year 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act, stating that it “is the last planned war supplemental.” In the bill, President Obama sought $83.4 billion to fund “ongoing military, diplomatic, and intelligence operations.” The OMB release stated that “the President will not tolerate it being turning into a vehicle for political projects. He has made it very clear to Congress that he will not accept any earmarks in the bill – and he will not tolerate the bill being loaded up with unrelated items. The era of irresponsibility is ending.”
Don’t Ground the Presidential Helicopter Program
The presidential helicopter has always provided the media with a picturesque backdrop for the president. One of the most famous images is President Nixon waving goodbye to the White House for the last time on August 9, 1974 from the top step of the helicopter.
Joint Strike Fighter: Platform for Waste?
Designed for service by the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and eight international partners, the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program is expected to produce an aircraft with a few variations that will ultimately replace the in-service F-16 and F/A-18 aircraft. However, the program has long come under fire as being over-priced and behind schedule.
Waste and Fraud at the Central Intelligence Agency
Waste and fraud at the Central Intelligence Agency not only squanders taxpayers’ money but also endangers American lives. When money is diverted away from intelligence missions on rogue state nuclear threats, for example, Americans are at risk.
Department of Defense Delays Air Force Tanker Contract Decision…Again
The Department of Defense (DoD) has once again flip-flopped with regard to the awarding of a $40 billion Air Force aerial refueling tanker contract.