[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6111]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           RIDICULOUS, WASTEFUL SPENDING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL

  (Mr. DUNCAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, the Scripps-Howard News Service recently ran 
a story about what it describes as ``Capitol Hill's extravagant new 
visitors center.''
  The story said: ``Another year and another $37 million in unforeseen 
cost increases'' in what is becoming an annual sad joke.
  There have been so many examples of ridiculous, wasteful spending at 
the Federal level over the last 30 or 40 years that it seems the 
Federal Government cannot do anything in an economical, efficient 
manner.
  The Scripps-Howard story said: ``Originally estimated to cost $40 
million, the project has grown into a 5-story Taj Mahal that so far has 
cost taxpayers $454 million.''
  The current final cost is estimated to be $559 million, and Citizens 
Against Government Waste describes it as ``monumental waste.''
  Apparently, if we want something to cost about 10 times more than it 
should, just let the Federal Government do it.
  Those who are in charge of managing this project should be ashamed 
and embarrassed, but all they will probably do is laugh at these 
comments, since the money is not coming out of their pockets.

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