Congress still pigging out on pork-barrel projects: watchdog group

What does a fruit fly research project in Paris, a sheep utilization program in Montana and a lobster institute in Maine all have in common? The insane ramblings of a mad-zoologist with too much time on his hands? Not quite.

In fact, the three aforementioned projects were all supported in 2007 by taxpayer-funded earmarks and are among examples of allegedly wasteful spending highlighted in the 18th annual Congressional Pig Book. Published by Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonpartisan watchdog group in Washington, the book shines a spotlight on Congress' affinity for home-state pork barrel projects.

The group, flanked by five anti-earmark Republican congressmen, two live oinkers and a costumed mascot dressed as (what else?) a pig, announced their findings at a news conference on Wednesday at the National Press Club.

Citizens Against Government Waste found that in fiscal 2008, Congress inserted 11,610 projects -- its second-highest total ever -- into its Defense and omnibus spending bills, worth $17.2 billion. The figures represent a 337 percent increase in projects from fiscal 2007, when Congress approved the budget through a continuing resolution, and a 30 percent bump in earmark costs. The 2007 budget included a comparatively low 2,658 projects worth $13.2 billion.

"When Congress adopted earmark reforms last year … there was hope that the number and cost of earmarks would be cut in half," said Tom Schatz, the watchdog group's president. "By any measure, that has not occurred."

To highlight the largesse, the group bestowed its annual Oinkers Awards to members sponsoring some of the more questionable earmarks.

Democrat Mike Thompson of California was ridiculed for a $211,509 earmark to research olive fruit flies, which live on average only for a few weeks. Meanwhile, three-quarters of Maine's congressional delegation -- Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe and Democratic Rep. Thomas Allen -- were lambasted for inserting $188,000 in funding for the Lobster Institute, a research center that boasts on its Web site of a line of dog biscuits made of crustaceans.

Citizens Against Government Waste also mocked House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., who added $3 million to the Defense bill for The First Tee, a youth golfing program. When questioned by a reporter on CNBC about the earmark, Clyburn suggested that teaching golf "helps you make generals and colonels." The First Tee earmark initially was removed by the House Appropriations Committee, but was added back into the bill, or "airdropped," in conference.

"The system we have is corrupt and it's corrupting," said Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga.

As in previous years, the top pork per capita recipients were Alaska and Hawaii, due primarily to the work of their senior representatives, Republican Sen. Ted Stevens and Democrat Sen. Daniel Inouye, who both sit on the powerful Appropriations Committee.

In fact, the top three senators in total earmark dollars all sit on the committee. Ranking member Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., received $892 million in earmarks; Stevens brought home $469 million; and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., got $465 million.

The top three earmarkers in the House also sat on the Appropriations Committee. Roger Wicker, formerly a Republican member of the House and now a senator, led the way with $176 million. He was followed by Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla., ($169 million) and Defense Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pa. ($159 million).

In total, Democrats received 55 percent of the 2008 earmarks; Republicans got 44 percent and Independents received about 1 percent.

As a result of a number of earmark reforms passed in 2007, members were forced for the first time to attach their names to their earmark requests. The House, however, requires full disclosure of the recipient of the earmark while the Senate requires its member to certify that they will not benefit personally from the request.

Earlier this year, House and Senate Republicans called for a one-year moratorium on earmarks, but both proposals were shot down. Each of the three challengers for president voted for the moratorium while 17 members of Congress have voluntarily taken a pledge not to request any earmarks in the fiscal 2009 budget.

Hoisting the 56-page Pig Book summary, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who sponsored the earmark moratorium proposal in his chamber, blamed both parties for failing to curb their appetites for pork.

"As long as this book is this thick, the American people are not going to trust us to make the big decisions," DeMint said.

Despite the senator's derision for the earmarking system, which he said has "perverted the entire purpose of Congress," DeMint said there is reason for hope. In January, President Bush announced he would veto any bill that did not include a 50 percent reduction in earmarks and issued an executive order requesting agencies to ignore earmarks contained in committee reports rather than in the statutory language of the bills.

Many members of Congress also pointed to Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, who has vowed that he would not sign any spending bills that include earmarks.

"We've got big spenders on the run," DeMint said. "The era of earmarks is almost over."

For now, though, it appears to be business as usual. In March, the deadline to submit earmark requests generated such a high volume that the House Appropriations Committee system crashed. Undeterred, the deadline was extended by five days.