[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 41 (Thursday, March 7, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2280-S2282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 580--EXPRESSING OPPOSITION TO CONGRESSIONAL SPENDING 
                              ON EARMARKS

  Mr. SCOTT of Florida (for himself, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Braun, Mrs. 
Blackburn, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Lee, Mr. Hawley, Mr. Paul, and Mr. Daines) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Appropriations:

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                              S. Res. 580

       Whereas fiscal year 2022 marked the return of 
     ``congressionally directed spending'' and ``community project 
     funding'', also known as ``earmarks'', after a 12-year 
     hiatus;
       Whereas the return of earmarks marked the return of 
     lawmakers using their powers to circumvent the rules of the 
     Senate in order to direct taxpayer dollars to wasteful 
     projects;
       Whereas, while Congress has the power of the purse, it must 
     be prescriptive and effective in funding programs, projects, 
     and activities of the Federal Government, which is now more 
     than $34,000,000,0000,0000 in debt, rather than focus on 
     funding earmarks that are wasteful in nature;
       Whereas the 118th Congress has reinstituted and embraced 
     the wasteful practice of earmarking, as shown by the more 
     than 5,000 requests for earmarks in the House of 
     Representatives and the more than 19,000 requests for 
     earmarks in the Senate for fiscal year 2024;
       Whereas Congress has already dramatically increased 
     earmarking since its return, increasing from $9,000,000,000 
     for 4,970 earmarks passed in fiscal year 2022 to 
     $15,300,000,000 for 7,234 earmarks passed in fiscal year 
     2023;
       Whereas the reckless, 1,653 page, $1,700,000,000,000 
     Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328) 
     enacted in December 2022, appropriated billions of dollars to 
     earmarks even though the United States is more than 
     $34,000,000,000,000 in debt and experiencing the highest 
     level of inflation seen in 40 years;
       Whereas the massive, fiscal year 2023 omnibus spending bill 
     included funding for earmarks, including $3,600,000 for the 
     Michelle Obama Trail in Georgia, $2,500,000 for a Chinatown 
     arts building in San Francisco, $7,000,000 to fix staircases 
     in the city of Pittsburgh, $12,000,000 for a pedestrian 
     walkway in Vermont, and $3,000,000 for a theater and event 
     space in Pennsylvania, in addition to other earmark projects 
     such as botanical gardens in California, bike parking in 
     Maryland, streetscaping in Connecticut, and a dance festival 
     in Massachusetts;
       Whereas the fiscal year 2024 minibus spending bill released 
     on March 3, 2024, includes 605 pages of earmarks with 6,630 
     individual projects totaling $12,700,000,000, including 
     $3,500,000 for Michigan's Thanksgiving Parade Foundation, 
     $1,000,000 for an environmental justice center in New York 
     City, $500,000 for gardens in San Francisco, $4,000,000 for a 
     waterfront walkway in New Jersey, theater and opera house 
     renovations in Georgia and Pennsylvania, and city hall 
     renovations in Washington and Rhode Island;
       Whereas former Senator Tom Coburn condemned the use of 
     earmarks as a ``gateway drug to overspending'' and former 
     Senator John McCain called earmarks ``the gateway drug to 
     corruption and overspending in Washington'';
       Whereas several former Members of Congress and lobbyists 
     have been convicted of crimes related to earmarking;
       Whereas it is crucial that Congress spend taxpayer dollars 
     wisely and with the best return on investment, especially 
     during times of historic inflation and Federal debt levels; 
     and
       Whereas Congress must stop this reckless Federal spending 
     and corrupt political dealing, start paying down the debt of 
     the United States, and get the United States back on track: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) condemns the use of ``congressionally directed 
     spending'' and ``community project funding'', known as 
     ``earmarks'', to direct and appropriate taxpayer dollars in 
     any form;
       (2) reaffirms the previous ban on the use of earmarks and 
     affirms to restore the ban permanently and immediately; and
       (3) affirms the need for Congress to reign in overspending 
     to help curb the inflation crisis that is crippling the 
     families of the United States.
  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, since Joe Biden took office, 
inflation has exploded 17.9 percent. Prices on everything, especially 
groceries, are sky-high, and hard-working Americans are not able to 
keep up.
  So think about what that means. If you haven't seen your pay rise by 
more than 17.9 percent since January 2021, you are behind because of 
Joe Biden's inflation.
  We know that is the reality for millions of Americans because real 
average weekly earnings have fallen 4.3 percent since Joe Biden took 
office.
  So when the press and Biden administration says: Good news, inflation 
is cooling, nobody in the real word is buying it because they see it is 
a lie each and every day.
  Unless we see significant deflation, which will only happen if we cut 
spending, then there won't be relief from the massive damage that 
Biden's inflation has already caused.
  One of the best ways to cut reckless spending is to take a serious 
look at earmarks. Now, I appreciate that Congress rightfully holds the 
purse strings under the Constitution. And my colleagues in the Senate 
know their States better than the Biden administration does. This is 
not about taking away authority from Congress. Neither Congress nor the 
President's Agencies should waste your money.
  Earmarks are pet projects that only benefit a small number of people; 
they are not voted on separately by Members of Congress. American 
taxpayers should not be used as a political piggybank.
  Earmarks have been so badly abused that we can't let it go on like 
this any longer. The time for forgiveness has passed.
  In just the Senate, Members requested more than 6,000 earmarks to 
waste your tax dollars on projects like $3.5 million for Michigan's 
Thanksgiving Parade Foundation; $1 million for an environmental justice 
center in New York--New York City has a budget already of $106 billion; 
don't you think they can do this on their own--$1 million for a social 
justice organization in San Francisco to make building improvements; $5 
million for a theater, opera house, and other renovations in Georgia 
and Pennsylvania and city hall renovations in Washington and Rhode 
Island.
  Why does the Federal Government have to pay for this? The States and 
local governments should take the lead here.
  Today, the U.S. national debt is nearly $35 trillion. That is about 
$6.5 trillion more than it was when Biden took office.
  Here is an even more disturbing figure: Since January 20, 2023, about 
14 months ago, the national debt has grown by more than $3 trillion. 
This explosion of America's national debt is a grave threat to the 
civility and security of our country, and it is not going to stop 
unless we force change.
  As someone who grew up in public housing and watched my mom struggle 
to put food on the table and pay taxes all of her life, I am furious 
about just how much failure in Washington is hurting hard-working 
families like my mom all across--families in Florida and all across the 
country.
  Again, we have seen inflation increase 17.9 percent since Joe Biden 
took office. In my home State of Florida, that means families have to 
spend $11,400 more to buy the same things. That is nearly $1,000 more a 
month each and every single month just to get by the same way they did 
the day before Biden took office.
  The status quo is burying America alive. That is why I am hoping all 
of my colleagues will join me in supporting the resolution against 
earmarks I will be filing today.
  My resolution condemns the use of congressionally directed spending 
and community project funding, known as earmarks, to direct and 
appropriate taxpayer dollars in any form; reaffirms the previous ban on 
the use of earmarks and affirms to restore the ban permanently and 
immediately; and affirms the need for Congress to rein in overspending 
to help curb the inflation crisis that is crippling the families of the 
United States.
  Debt matters because it fuels inflation. Just remember that. Debt 
fuels inflation. It makes it harder for the Federal Government to do 
the things it promised to do, like build roads and fund Social 
Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and national defense.
  Americans know that the debt and inflation crisis we find ourselves 
in today was 100 percent preventable.
  I believe we ought to fund the things that matter in government, like 
national defense, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, but that is 
not going to happen if we don't stop spending money on these worthless 
projects.
  If we truly intend to protect and preserve these programs and the 
core services and responsibilities the Federal Government is charged 
with providing to American taxpayers, we have to cut the reckless 
spending. If nothing changes, the interest on our debt, which is 
already costing us $870 billion this year--more than we spend on 
defense--is going to keep going up. Soon, the government will not be 
able to keep its promise. That is not fair to each of you, and we 
should not let that happen.
  We all need to work together to end earmarks and protect American 
taxpayer dollars.

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