Agriculture Appropriations bills are traditionally chock full of pork, often disguised as Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service Special Research Grants. The FY 2001 Agriculture Conference Report, to be passed today, is especially egregious. H.R. 4461 and S. 2536, expected to go to the White House this week, will continue projects that, according to USDA officials, should have already been completed, and will also fund numerous new projects. The FY 2001 agriculture bills include $149 million in potential pork, an increase of 30 percent from FY 2000 if enacted.

• Shrimp Aquaculture Research, Multiple States: Pork brings the parties together like few issues. This year, a multi-state coalition of appropriators secured another $4.2 million for the shrimp aquaculture research that was supposed to have been completed in 1987. Hawaii, Massachusetts, Mississippi, South Carolina, and the land-locked state of Arizona will benefit. Who says bipartisanship is a good thing?
• Alternative Salmon Products, Alaska: As he did in the FY 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill, Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska.) earmarked $645,000 for research into alternative salmon products. A profligate porker, Chairman Stevens this year reeled in more than $3.3 million for Alaska in the Agriculture bill.
• Peanut Allergy Reduction, Alabama: In November 1998, Senate Appropriator Richard Shelby (R- Ala.) released a statement opposing federal involvement in peanut allergy concerns, calling them "overreaching," precisely "what makes Americans question the competency of their government," and against "common sense." For FY 2001, Shelby has abandoned his own common sense by earmarking $500,000 for more peanut allergy research.
• Pierce’s Disease, California: Although the American Vineyard Foundation, the Wine Institute, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture have recently allocated millions toward fighting this grape killer, California appropriators secured $1.9 million to study Pierce’s Disease.
• Vidalia Onions, Georgia: House Appropriator Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) continues to bring tears to taxpayers’ eyes by doubling his FY 2000 gift to Vidalia onion farmers, setting aside $250,000 this year for research. Since 1998, Kingston has earmarked nearly $534,000 for this vital national concern. Sniff.
• Swine Waste Management, North Carolina: Apparently, House appropriator David Price (D- N.C.) is as happy as a swine dipped in waste to spend your money on this ongoing study at North Carolina State University. The project, slated to receive another $500,000 this year, was supposed to have been completed in 1999. Soo-eee!
• Iowa Pork: Senate Appropriator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) slid more than $4 million in bacon into the Agriculture bill. Your dollars will go to funding integrated cow resources management, agriculture-based industrial lubricants research, and protein utilization research.
• Satsuma Orange Research, Alabama: $475,000 added in conference for Satsuma Orange Research. This nearly seedless orange is a descendent of the Mandarin Orange, which was reserved for the privileged Mandarin class in China. This research was funded by the new privileged class, House and Senate appropriators.