Pork Alert Roundup: Recess Edition

In recent years, Congress has been unable to complete the appropriations process by the start of the new fiscal year (FY), which occurs on October 1.  Unfortunately, this year will not be an exception. 

However, there is positive news to report, as the ban on earmarks directed to for-profit companies announced by House Democrats on March 10, 2010 and the moratorium on all earmarks by House Republicans the next day has had a noticeable effect on the appropriations process.  In the eight House appropriations bills approved by subcommittees prior to the August recess, Citizens Against Government Waste found that dollar totals for earmarks decreased by 29 percent, from a total of $2,762,800 in FY 2010 to $1,961,290,000 in the same bills in FY 2011.  Projects declined by 47.8 percent, from 4,677 in FY 2010 to 2,442 in FY 2011. 

The three largest reductions in cost included 47.9 percent in the Homeland Security bill, 43.6 percent in the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (THUD) bill, and 42.7 percent in the Energy and Water bill.  The only House bill to increase in cost thus far was the Labor and Health and Human Services bill, which jumped 18.6 percent.  CAGW’s Pork Alerts detail egregious earmarks found in each of the FY 2011 appropriations bills.

Unfortunately, the Senate failed to agree on any earmark reform, rejecting an amendment offered by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) on March 16, 2010, that would have imposed a one-year ban on earmarks.  The THUD bill is the only one comparable to FY 2010 approved by a Senate appropriations subcommittee thus far, and it included a 29.4 percent increase in spending, from $1,700,000,000 in FY 2010 to $2,200,000,000 in FY 2011.  In this single bill, the Senate nearly canceled out the progress made by the House.  When lumped together, the nine bills add up to a 6.8 percent decrease in dollar amount, from $4,462,800,000 in FY 2010 to $4,161,290,000 in FY 2011.

Although only the House has taken positive steps thus far, the true test will come in conference.  The Senate has long been home to Congress’s biggest porkers.  Consequently, the final appropriations bills may not reflect the encouraging trends in the House.  Furthermore, CAGW has highlighted efforts by members of Congress to circumvent their own rules; this behavior is likely to increase in frequency when conferees meet.

With massive deficits projected to continue far into the future, members of Congress should be especially cognizant of the consequence of their actions.Bringing the final bills closer to the House totals to date wouldcontribute positively to the earmark reform movement and show taxpayers that Congress is serious about cutting wasteful spending.