FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 17, 2003
5:00 PM
CONTACT:  U. S. House Appropriation Committee
 David Helfert, (202) 225-3481
Congressional Pork: Republicans Make a Mountain Out of a Molehill
   WASHINGTON - November 17 - Over the eight years of Republican control of the House of Representatives, "pork barrel" spending, congressionally earmarked funds that Republicans campaigned against and promised to end, has increased exponentially. The Republicans campaigned against earmarked funds in 1994, but "they have actually taken the practice to levels that Democrats never imagined," according to a report by the House Appropriations Committee Minority Staff.

The analysis also documents that, "Not only have they (the Republican House leadership) dramatically increased the number of earmarks in virtually every area of government, they have opened up broad new areas of government to the practice of earmarking."

The report shows that earmarked projects and funds flowing to particular states and Districts at the request of individual Members of the House and Senate doubled and, in some cases, more than tripled between fiscal years 1995, the last year under Democratic House leadership, and 2003.

Defense Appropriations O&M Procurement R&D

Fiscal Year 1995 33 projects 55 219 projects totaling $1.1 billion

Fiscal Year 2003 232 projects 285 1,299 projects totaling $4.4 billion

Transportation-Treasury

Fiscal Year 1995 322 projects totaling $1.5 billion

Fiscal Year 2003 1,818 projects totaling $3.9 billion

VA-HUD

Fiscal Year 1995 26 pages of earmarks

Fiscal Year 2003 89 pages

NASA

Fiscal Year 1995 2 projects totaling $48 million

Fiscal Year 2003 104 projects totaling $254 million

Commerce-State-Justice

Fiscal Year 1995 45 projects totaling $104 million

Fiscal Year 2003 966 projects totaling $1.04 billion

Labor, H&HS, Education

Fiscal Year 1995 $0

Fiscal Year 1996 $33 million

Fiscal Year 2004 $1 billion

Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, promised that the Republican takeover in 1995, "would be the end of government that is too big, too intrusive, and too easy with the public's money," the Appropriations Committee Minority report notes. Under Republican leadership, earmarked spending has seen unprecedented increases, and since Republicans have controlled the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate, the federal government has created the largest new federal agency since the Department of Defense was established 50 years ago, passed the Patriot Act, resulting in bipartisan concern about government snooping, and run up the largest budget deficit in American history.

The Report is available at http://www.house.gov/appropriations_democrats/

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