Clean Government

Washington, D.C. – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today congratulated the Bush Administration for publishing an updated version of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) online earmark database.

“This detailed listing of earmarks is a vital tool in the war against wasteful spending,” said CAGW President Tom Schatz.  “The Administration should be commended for taking the lead within the government on earmark disclosure.”

For the first time, a government office is offering a comprehensive public database that details earmarks in a searchable and downloadable format.  Users can trace earmarks by state or federal agency.  Details for individual earmarks include the agency, bureau, and account they originated from, the certifying official, a description, the recipient, the location if available, and a citation of where the earmark can be found in legislation.

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by Maital Dahan

After five years in Afghanistan and four years in Iraq, tens of billions of dollars for the War on Terror are still provided outside the normal budgetary process, through a giant loophole known as emergency spending. The House version of the fiscal 2007 supplemental, the “U.S. Readiness, Veterans’ Health and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007,” H.R. 1591, is a blatant betrayal of the Democrats’ campaign promise to restore fiscal responsibility to Congress.

President Bush requested $103 billion in emergency spending for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and disaster relief. On March 23, the House of Representatives voted 218-212 to pass H.R. 1591, which includes an additional $21 billion in unrelated domestic spending. The extraneous items include $400 million for rural schools, $283 million for the Milk Income Loss Contract program, $74 million for peanut storage costs, and $25 million for spinach growers.

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Washington, D.C. – Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today criticized the House of Representatives for out-of-control spending and unrelated policy provisions in the emergency war supplemental bill.  President Bush requested $103 billion in emergency spending for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and disaster relief.  The House Appropriations Committee included an additional $21 billion in the U.S. Readiness, Veterans’ Health and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007, that is being marked up today.

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Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today applauded the Bush Administration for closing the door to hidden earmark requests. Yesterday, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Rob Portman released a memorandum as guidance for the obligation of funds for fiscal year 2007 under H. J. Res. 20.

“We congratulate the administration for its directive and Congress for curtailing earmarks,” CAGW President Tom Schatz said. “It is important to encourage more transparency and ensure that funding will be based on authorizing law and statutory criteria such as merit-based decision making, eligibility standards, competitive bidding, and funding formulas.”

The OMB memo states that “unless a project or activity is specifically identified in statutory text, agencies should not obligate funds on the basis of earmarks contained in Congressional reports or documents, or other written or oral communications regarding earmarks.”

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Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today released its assessment of the Bush Administration’s farm bill.  The proposal is a mixed bag of good and bad policy, with much room for improvement.

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 - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today urged the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to deny a record $2.3 billion federal loan to the Dakota,, and Eastern Railroad (DM&E).  The FRA announced it is ready to consider the loan and will issue a decision within 90 days.

“The DM&E loan has the potential to be one of the biggest taxpayer rip-offs in history,” said CAGW President Tom Schatz.  “The FRA must stop this handout in its tracks.”

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