Posted on 10/06/2023 5:37:18 PM PDT by ATOMIC_PUNK
2023 Congressional Pig Book https://www.cagw.org/reporting/pig-book
The Congressional Pig Book is CAGW's annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget. A "pork" project is a line-item in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures. To qualify as pork, a project must meet one of seven criteria that were developed in 1991 by CAGW and the Congressional Porkbusters Coalition.
Earmarks continue to provide the most benefit to those with spots on prime congressional committees. In FY 2023, the 89 members of the House and Senate appropriations committees, making up only 17 percent of Congress, were responsible for 41.4 percent of the earmarks and 29.9 percent of the money. As the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) explained regarding those making the case for earmarks, “The problem with all their arguments is: the more powerful you are, the more likely it is you get the earmark in. Therefore, it is a corrupt system.”
(Excerpt) Read more at cagw.org ...
https://www.cagw.org/reporting/pig-book/2023-pork-per-capita
https://www.cagw.org/reporting/earmarks
Oinker Awards
The Whole Hog Award to Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) for 18 earmarks costing $666,406,000, the highest amount received, and 23.1 percent more than the legislator in second place.
The Strange Bedfellows Award to Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) for $6,000,000 for the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library at Mississippi State University in Starkville.
The House of Pork Award to Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) who received 10 earmarks costing $287,537,000, the most in the House of Representatives.
The You Cannot be Serious Award to Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) for $250,000 for the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, which had a fund balance of $60.7 million in 2020.
The Taking Taxpayers for a Ride Award to the nine members of Congress who received seven earmarks costing $11,112,400 funding bike and pedestrian paths.
The Broadband Bandits Award to the 10 members of Congress who received eight earmarks costing $9,537,427 to fund broadband projects despite the availability of enough money to connect every unserved area of the country.
The Deep Sixing the Taxpayers’ Money Award to Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) for $3,050,000 for two earmarks funding aquariums that have combined net assets of $107 million.
The Atlantic Fleeced Award to Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) for $4,000,000 for the Bahamian Museum of Arts and Culture in Nassau, Bahamas.
The Singing a Sour Note for Taxpayers Award to Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.) for $250,000 for the restoration of the Driver Opera House.
The Closing the Curtain on Taxpayers Award to the 36 members of Congress who received 28 earmarks costing $30,317,006 for local theaters.
The Leaving the Barn Door Open Award to then-Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) for $500,000 for the preservation of the historic Farm Barn at Shelburne Farms.
The Boot-Scootin’ Piggie Award to Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) for $500,000 for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
So many snouts fighting for space in the big public tax money hog trough.
🐷🐖🐽
No worries, by the end of the decade the debt will hit about $45,000,000,000,000 and will spell the end of this nation. It is the only way to kill the unipartying off.
Trump did a lot of amazing things and it only took three months for the GOPe/uniparty/democrats/commies to knock us back to the 30’s real soon.
“As the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) explained regarding those making the case for earmarks, “The problem with all their arguments is: the more powerful you are, the more likely it is you get the earmark in. Therefore, it is a corrupt system.”
Duh. All the more reason to hate McCain.
P
> Trump did a lot of amazing things… <
That he did. But it’s worth noting that he did not veto a single major spending bill. So when it comes to the federal deficit, Trump was unfortunately part of the problem.
Will Trump 2.0 be any better? One can only hope so.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.