Washington, D.C. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today responded to the announcement of former-House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bud Shuster’s (R-Penn.) decision to retire from Congress later this month.

“While many are praising Chairman Shuster’s record during his 15 years in Congress, CAGW is obliged to note that he was popular with many lobbyists and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle for his aggressive use of public monies to fund massive – and massively wasteful - transportation projects,” CAGW President Thomas A. Schatz said.  “He may have won allies through pork-barrel politics, but in the process badly abused taxpayers in pursuit of parochial interests and personal power.  With Bud Shuster out of Congress, now America is more able to afford a tax cut.”

CAGW also called on the House leadership to take this opportunity to clean up the Transportation Commitee, reduce gas taxes, and limit the scope and power of the committee’s chairman.  “During consideration of the TEA-21 transportation bill in 1998, Mr. Shuster based the amount of projects directed to a member’s district based on subjective criteria, such as being a member of his committee and voting for his legisiation.  This type of patronage should be prohibited for any bill, especially one as critical as transportation authorization,” Schatz said.

Among Shuster’s most dubious accomplishments – besides a lengthy ethics investigations - were funding the massively wasteful “Big Dig” road project in Boston and other multi-billion dollar payouts for favored districts and interests.  “The House of Representatives yesterday wisely agreed to a new rule prohibiting the naming of any public works projects for a sitting member of Congress.  While there are many such reminders of Bud Shuster’s prowess at bringing home the bacon throughout his district, at least he will be the last of the dinosaurs who trampled on our tax dollars in such a blatant manner,” Schatz concluded.

CAGW is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with over a million members and supporters, dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in government.