Washington, D.C.- Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today urged Congress to address the real reason behind the shrinking surplus: excessive wasteful spending.  The Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) latest surplus/deficit projections show that the once monumental surplus of $281 billion has been cut down to $153 billion.

“The real culprits behind these new surplus numbers are a weak economy and excessive spending,” Thomas A. Schatz said.  “If Congress truly wants to preserve surpluses for this year and many years to come, they should begin by eliminating all pork projects from the federal budget – $18.5 billion last year alone.”

Total discretionary spending increased 11 percent in fiscal 2000 and 8 percent in fiscal 2001, well above inflation.  If President Bush does not exercise his veto pen, Congress is on track to bust the 4 percent government growth mandated by the fiscal 2002 budget resolution.  Already, House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) has threatened to increase taxes in order to fund his party’s penchant for profligate spending.  He and his ilk blame President Bush for the declining surpluses, but the true culprits are, as CAGW has shown, Congress’s extravagant programs.  Some examples of ways to keep within the President’s discretionary boundaries are to avoid funding the following:

• $2.25 million for the city of Fairbanks to provide winter recreation alternatives to military and civilian residents in the state of Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Ted Stevens (R-Alaska);
• $1.75 million for bike paths, including $1 million for one path in the state of Senate appropriator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and $250,000 for two paths in the state of Senate appropriator Tim Johnson (D-S.D.).

• $1 million for infrastructure improvements and for a new multi-purpose room and event center for the Dana County Rodeo and Fair in the state of Senate VA/HUD Appropriations subcommittee member Pete Domenici (R-N.M.);

• $1 million for the Tuscaloosa City Riverwalk and Parkway Development by Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.); and
• $700,000 for a hospitality training facility in Las Vegas in the state of Senate appropriator Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

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