(Washington, D.C.) – Announcing a new policy initiative designed to improve fiscal discipline in the federal budget process, presidential candidate Governor George W. Bush (R-Texas) proposed that a bipartisan commission be established to eliminate pork barrel spending.

In a Knoxville speech on June 8, Bush endorsed legislation creating a bipartisan commission to identify wasteful projects in non-entitlement government spending.  The recommendations of the commission would be presented to Congress through legislation calling for an "up or down" vote on the entire package.

To help guide the commission in determining precisely what is and what is not pork, Bush cited the seven criteria for pork-barrel spending established by Citizens Against Government Waste, (CAGW) a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.

These seven criteria have long formed the basis for CAGW's annual Congressional Pig Book Summary, widely considered to be the authoritative source of information on pork-barrel spending.  All of the items in the Pig Book meet at least one of the following criteria, but most satisfy at least two:  Requested by only one chamber of Congress; not specifically authorized; not competitively awarded; not requested by the President; greatly exceeds the President’s budget request or the previous year’s funding; not the subject of congressional hearings; or serves only a local or special interest.

"We are pleased that Gov. Bush has singled out CAGW's nonpartisan criteria for pork as an effective tool to reduce government waste," said CAGW President Thomas Schatz.  "For many years, we have been telling both parties in Washington how to reduce pork.  By promising to confront pork-barrel spending, Gov. Bush is taking an important step toward improving accountability in Washington and ensuring the elimination of the massive debt that still burdens every American."

Detailed information on Pig Book, pork-barrel spending and other government waste can be found at CAGW's website, www.cagw.org. 

CAGW is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.