(Washington, D.C.) - Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) named Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.) its October Pooper – er, Porker of the Month for proposing the putrid Diaper Investment and Aid to Promote Economic Recovery Act (DIAPER).  The bill would amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to include diapers among the items that may be purchased with the grants.  When the nation is already swaddled in $14.9 trillion of debt, creating a new diaper distribution program is a fetid idea.    

Rep. DeLauro certainly qualifies as the diaper diva of Capitol Hill.  On October 7, 2011, in an attempt to elevate diapers to a level of national significance that they clearly do not deserve, Rep. DeLauro issued a press release stating that “No family should have to choose between buying diapers for their child or buying groceries.”  Rep. DeLauro added that she “applaud[s] the work of Joanne Goldblum, who has been operating a Diaper Bank in Connecticut for years now, and whose good work has served as the inspiration for this legislation.” 

However, Ms. Goldblum and her diaper bank have done more than just inspire.  In the fiscal year 2009 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, Rep. DeLauro disposed of $133,000 in taxpayer money with an earmark to the diaper bank. 

“DIAPER leaves no doubt that the U.S. is moving ever closer to becoming a ‘Nanny State,’” said CAGW President Tom Schatz.  “It is another example of the mission creep within federal programs that gives taxpayers a bad rash.  Even as the Joint Special Committee on Deficit Reduction is holding hearings on how to cut $1.2 trillion from this bloated federal budget and wrangle some control over spiraling government spending, members like Rep. DeLauro are still trying to load on more spending and more debt.  On behalf of taxpayers, we think this bill is, well…just offal.  It should be left on the congressional compost heap.” 

For discharging a bill that needlessly dumps on taxpayers, Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro is CAGW’s October Porker of the Month.

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.  Porker of the Month is a dubious honor given to lawmakers, government officials, and political candidates who have shown a blatant disregard for the interests of taxpayers.