[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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