As the House of Representatives rushed to finish legislative business in advance of the Memorial Day recess, the fate of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010Supplemental Appropriations Bill was pushed off until lawmakers returnon June 8. The bill allocates $37.5 billion to support ongoing war efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Unfortunately, it also piles on tens of billions of dollars in additional funding for dozens of non-emergency items, all of which add to the $1.56 trillion annual deficit and the national debt, which topped $13 trillion on May 25, 2010, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Stimulus Rebellion on the Eastern Shore
There is a brawl brewing in the bucolic fields of Queen Anne’s County, Maryland. The Obama Administration’s $862 billion stimulus fund, ostensibly targeted toward shovel-ready, jobs-producing projects, is going toward the construction of a decidedly non-shovel-ready 2,000-acre U.S. State Department security training facility that residents in the region neither need nor want. This tiny band of committed activists, comprised of Republicans, Democrats, private property rights advocates, conservationists, and small business owners, may go down in history as one of the only communities in the country to successfully reject a wasteful stimulus pork project.
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.).
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.
A Challenge That Should Not Be Met
Six years ago, President Bush called for the establishment of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), “a new compact for global development defined by new accountability for both rich and poor nations alike.”
Europe Assaults U.S. Businesses
As the global economy slows, every effort should be made to encourage businesses to invest, innovate, and market their products around the world. Unfortunately for taxpayers and investors, European regulators are abusing their power in a manner that will adversely impact the ability of the world to avoid the worst results of the current slowdown.
Waste on a Plane
Any traveler would prefer champagne, fine dining, and ample leg room on their next plane flight. However, most people either cannot afford a premium class ticket or deem it not worth the extra expense. Charging the tickets to the government has a way of changing the equation. An April 2006 Government Accountability Office report revealed how some public servants are traveling like rock stars at the taxpayers’ expense.