What's Happening in Earmarks & Appropriations

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Fiscal Conservatives Urge Open Rule for Defense Spending Bill

July 16, 2013 | Letters & Testimony | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations , National Security

Fiscal Conservatives Urge Open Rule for Defense Spending Bill   July 22, 2013 Dear Speaker Boehner, We understand that the House of... Read More

Fiscal Conservative Organizations Outraged at Farm Bill Process

June 19, 2013 | Letters & Testimony | Agriculture , Earmarks & Appropriations

Fiscal Conservative Organizations Outraged at Farm Bill Process Today, TCS joined other fiscal conservative organizations expressing outrage at the farm bill process. ... Read More

Energy and Water Spending Bill Passes Subcommittee

June 18, 2013 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations , Energy

Energy and Water Spending Bill Passes Subcommittee The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies voted today to pass the fiscal year 2014... Read More

TCS Presents “Subsidizing Small Modular Reactors”

May 30, 2013 | Event Summary | Earmarks & Appropriations , Energy

TCS Presents “Subsidizing Small Modular Reactors” Taxpayers for Common Sense was invited today to present on federal taxpayer subsidies and liabilities surrounding small modular nuclear... Read More

Disaster Reforms for Resiliency

Disaster Reforms for Resiliency Over the past decade, extreme weather and storms have become increasingly commonplace – including coastal storms, wildfires, droughts,... Read More

Costly Water Projects Bill Demands Scrutiny

April 10, 2013 | Letters & Testimony | Earmarks & Appropriations , Transportation & Infrastructure

Costly Water Projects Bill Demands Scrutiny Taxpayers for Common Sense and eight other organizations allied on this issue urge scrutiny of S.601, the Water Resources Development Act of 2013... Read More

TCS Analysis of the FY14 Presidential Budget Request

TCS Analysis of the FY14 Presidential Budget Request Taxpayers for Common Sense staff will be combing through the budget over the next several hours and days and bringing to light various... Read More

The Beat Continues on the Charlottesville Bypass

The Beat Continues on the Charlottesville Bypass In a great piece about the proposed Charlottesville (VA) Bypass, James Bacon from Bacon’s Rebellion lays out several significant problems... Read More

Energy Department Announces Second Round of Small Modular Reactor Funding

March 12, 2013 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations , Energy

Energy Department Announces Second Round of Small Modular Reactor Funding The Department of Energy (DOE) announced yesterday a second funding opportunity for its Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Program. The new... Read More

Senate Dems’ Plan to Avoid Sequester Fails to Save

February 28, 2013 | Our Take | Agriculture , Earmarks & Appropriations

Senate Dems’ Plan to Avoid Sequester Fails to Save Senate Democrats' plan to avoid sequestration cuts fails to save taxpayers enough money.... Read More

Sandy Spending Accountability

January 31, 2013 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

Sandy Spending Accountability With the Senate's 62-36 vote, lawmakers have sent in aggregate more than $60 billion to help those affected by Superstorm Sandy. You can... Read More

Congress: Only Fund Emergency Needs in Sandy Supplemental

January 11, 2013 | Letters & Testimony | Earmarks & Appropriations , Transportation & Infrastructure

Congress: Only Fund Emergency Needs in Sandy Supplemental   January 11, 2012 Dear Representative, As you know, the House of... Read More

Defense Authorization Bill: More Money, Less Savings

December 21, 2012 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations , National Security

Defense Authorization Bill: More Money, Less Savings The Senate today passed the final version of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which, though late, will still beat the... Read More

TCS Letter to the Editor in St. Louis Post-Dispatch - “Solution to flood protection is not new earmarks”

Letters to the editor, June 14 Joshua Sewell • Washington, D.C. Policy Analyst, Taxpayers for Common Sense It is disappointing to... Read More

Updates & Budgetary Gimmicks in the Final Continuing Resolution Unveiled by House Appropriations

The House Appropriations Committee released the final Continuing Resolution (CR) funding the federal government for the rest of the 2011... Read More

TCS VP Steve Ellis Op-Ed: Earmarks are dead. Long live earmarks (CNN)

April 06, 2011 | Press Releases | Earmarks & Appropriations

By Steve Ellis, CNNMoney guest columnist April 7, 2011: 11:31 AM ET Earmark reform: The end-arounds have begun -- Steve Ellis is Vice... Read More

A Taxpayer Victory!  Thank You!

February 02, 2011 | Letters & Testimony | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

With the Senate's begrudging acceptance of an earmark moratorium, taxpayers just achieved a well-earned victory on the road to fiscal... Read More

Senate Appropriations Committee Announces Earmark Moratorium

February 01, 2011 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

Today, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) announced a two year moratorium on earmarks. The call comes after... Read More

TCS VP Steve Ellis on NPR: How To Get Around The Ban On Earmarks

December 28, 2010 | Press Releases | Earmarks & Appropriations

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense VP Steve Ellis spoke with NPR regarding ways to get around the earmark ban. You can listen to the NPR... Read More

TCS VP Steve Ellis on MSNBC’s The Last Word discussing the Earmark Moratorium

December 23, 2010 | Press Releases | Earmarks & Appropriations

Steve Ellis appeared on MSNBC's "The Last Word" program to discuss the earmark moratorium with Lawrence O'Donnell and Congressman Tim... Read More

Deficit Commission Releases its Final Report—The Moment of Truth

December 01, 2010 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

So the "The Moment of Truth" is here. We've been combing through the specifics of the aptly titled final report of the National... Read More

A Transportation Earmark is Still an Earmark

Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) told a local newspaper this week that she supports a ban on earmarks – but then turned around and said that... Read More

TCS & Earmark Reforms Mentioned by Sen. James Inhofe on Senate Floor

November 16, 2010 | Press Releases | Earmarks & Appropriations

Yesterday, while speaking on the Senate floor, Sen. Inhofe (R-OK) highlighted the earmark reforms that TCS developed with other... Read More

TCS VP Steve Ellis discusses The Future of Earmark Transparency on Capitol Hill

November 15, 2010 | Press Releases | Earmarks & Appropriations

Yesterday, the Advisory Committee on Transparency hosted “the Future of Earmark Transparency” on Capitol Hill. The Advisory Committee... Read More

Reforms Proposed by National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform Co-Chairs Unveiled Today

The Co-chairs of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform gave their proposals to fellow Commission members today.... Read More

Press Briefing: Nonpartisan Coalition of Lobbyists and Advocates to Announce Commonsense Earmark Reform Principles

September 26, 2010 | Event Summary | Earmarks & Appropriations

  On Tuesday, September 28th, 2010, a diverse coalition of good government groups, and Washington lobbyists from both sides of the... Read More

Earmark Lobbyist Pleads Guilty; Lobby Shop’s Earmarks Detailed

September 24, 2010 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations , National Security

September 24, 2010 (Update) Former high-powered PMA lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti has pleaded guilty to an illegal contribution scheme in... Read More

FutureGen: Massive Clean Coal Project Changes Track, Still Securing $1 Billion Earmarked in the Stimulus

August 04, 2010 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations , Energy

Today, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the plan to build “FutureGen” a massive commercial “clean coal” facility in Mattoon,... Read More

Senate Takes a Step Toward Earmark Transparency

July 27, 2010 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

By an 11-5 vote today the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee passed  S.3335, the Earmark Transparency Act of 2010.... Read More

Letter to Chairman Oberstar: TCS Supports Efforts to Rescind Unused Transportation Earmarks

July 26, 2010 | Letters & Testimony | Earmarks & Appropriations , Transportation & Infrastructure

Chairman James Oberstar House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 2165 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC... Read More

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Passes Energy & Water Bill—Includes $17 BILLION in Risky Loan Guarantees

July 20, 2010 | Event Summary | Earmarks & Appropriations , Energy

 On July 20, the Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee approved a whopping $17 billion in new loan guarantees... Read More

House Appropriations Subcommittee Passes Energy & Water Bill—Includes $50 BILLION in Risky Loan Guarantees

July 20, 2010 | Event Summary | Earmarks & Appropriations , Energy

 On July 15, the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee approved a $34.7 billion FY 2011 funding bill. Drafts of the bill are... Read More

Alaska Adopts Sensible Policy on Transportation Earmarks

Earlier this week, our attention was pointed to a new earmark policy released by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public... Read More

Bipartisan Support for Earmark Database Bill Continues

June 01, 2010 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

(June 2)  Fully one-fifth of Senators have now joined efforts to show American taxpayers the true priorities of Congress. ... Read More

TCS President Ryan Alexander’s Hearing Testimony on The Legality and Efficacy of Line-Item Veto

May 26, 2010 | Letters & Testimony | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

Today, Taxpayers for Common Sense President Ryan Alexander testified at the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on the Legality and Efficacy of Line-Item Veto Proposals... Read More

House Republicans Adopt One-Year Earmark Moratorium

March 11, 2010 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

It’s been quite a whirlwind the last couple days. On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) announced a... Read More

House Spending Committee Continues Down Path of Earmark Reform

March 10, 2010 | Event Summary | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

The House Appropriations Committee took a positive step today on the long journey toward earmark reform. Chairman David Obey (D-WI)... Read More

Murtha’s Legacy

March 05, 2010 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) last night received a sendoff befitting a 36-year titan of Capitol Hill. In the Capitol’s Statuary Hall,... Read More

Ethics Committee Ignores Earmark Problems

February 26, 2010 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

The House Ethics Committee today closed their investigation into ties between campaign donation to seven lawmakers and earmarks to the... Read More

FY11 Budget Cuts Agriculture Waste

February 10, 2010 | Our Take | Agriculture , Earmarks & Appropriations

The President’s proposed FY2011 Department of Agriculture (USDA) budget is $25.8 billion, slightly reduced from the FY2010 level of $26.9... Read More

Statement by Ms. Ryan Alexander, President, Taxpayers for Common Sense on the State of the Union Address

January 27, 2010 | Statements | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

Washington, DC - The President laid out the economic and fiscal challenges facing the country tonight in the State of the Union. The... Read More

House Ethics Committee Investigation Memo Available

November 30, 2009 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

The July House Ethics Committee weekly summary report the Washington Post reported on last month is now available here. Wikileaks posted... Read More

Watchdogs to Defense Secretary Gates: Tell Congress Earmarks Cannot be Tolerated

October 14, 2009 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations , National Security

Government watchdogs yesterday sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates urging him to make it unmistakably clear to Congress... Read More

Senators Deliver Earmark Cash for Campaign Contributors

October 07, 2009 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations , National Security

Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS) has cross-referenced earmarks sought and obtained by Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee members... Read More

Inouye, Cochran Benefit from Earmark Recipients

September 28, 2009 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations , National Security

Taxpayers for Common Sense has mapped the connections between earmarks and campaign contributions for the chairman and ranking member of... Read More

Watchdogs Release Database Detailing Earmarks and Campaign Contributions

August 12, 2009 | Press Releases | Earmarks & Appropriations

                                                                          For immediate... Read More

House Opportunity to Shoot Down Funding for Defense Contractor Raided by FBI

There are several amendments on the House Defense spending bill that is on the floor this morning. In addition to the important earmark... Read More

House Defense Appropriators Rake in Earmarks for Campaign Contributors

July 23, 2009 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations , National Security

Taxpayers for Common Sense analyzed the FY2010 Defense Appropriations spending bill that recently passed the House Appropriations... Read More

House Defense Appropriations Committee Members Rake in Nearly $1 million from Potential Earmark Beneficiaries

A Taxpayers for Common Sense analysis found that the House lawmakers who write the annual defense spending bill asked for billions of... Read More

Ethics Committee Reviewing Lawmaker-PMA Group Ties

June 11, 2009 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

As reported by Roll Call, the House Ethics Committee has announced that it is reviewing the PMA Group, a lobbying firm under... Read More

House Commerce, Justice, Science Earmarks

June 09, 2009 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

The House Appropriatations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) released the list of earmarks from its... Read More

Recommendations to the President for Earmark Reform

March 10, 2009 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

At Taxpayers for Common Sense, we believe that all funding decisions must be made on the basis of merit, federal priorities and national... Read More

Letter to the President: Pledge to Keep the Stimulus Earmark Free

February 23, 2009 | Letters & Testimony | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

The President The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President, On behalf of the millions of members of our respective... Read More

FBI Raids Lobby Firm with Murtha Ties

February 09, 2009 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

ABC News is reporting that the FBI has raided the offices of PMA Group, a powerful lobbying outfit here in Washington, D.C. The firm... Read More

Earmark Reform Bill Introduced in the Senate

January 08, 2009 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

Taxpayers for Common Sense applauds Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) for... Read More

Congressman Gets Earmark for His Church

January 06, 2009 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL) appears to have taken the saying “taking care of your flock” to another level. Rush, who is also an... Read More

House, Senate Appropriators Offer Further Earmark Reforms

January 06, 2009 | Statements | Earmarks & Appropriations

Today, the House and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman announced new earmark reforms for FY10 spending bills. The new reforms:... Read More

What $24 Million Gets These Days

December 15, 2008 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

The controversial National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC), located in a former department store in the congressional district of Rep.... Read More

Stevens Trial: Senator Takes Stand in Own Defense

October 16, 2008 | Press Releases | Earmarks & Appropriations

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), on trial for failing to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars of gifts from Veco Corporation and its former... Read More

House Passes Bailout Bill

October 02, 2008 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

The House of Representatives today passed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 by 263-171. Click here to read about the $110... Read More

Senate Turns Against Earmark Reform

September 17, 2008 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations , National Security

Tonight, the Senate passed the $612.5 billion Fiscal Year 2009 defense authorization bill. Virtually all the amendments to the... Read More

Wasilla, Alaska Benefited from Nearly $27 Million in Earmarks from 1996 to 2002

September 01, 2008 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

As Mayor of Wasilla between 1996-2002, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) helped get nearly $27 million in earmarked federal funding. Under her... Read More

New Analysis: Lawmakers Cutting Their Earmark Calories

August 17, 2008 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

During this election year, lawmakers are showing slight restraint in writing the earmarks in the FY 2009 spending bills, according to an... Read More

Don Young Legal Defense Fund Disclosures Released

August 06, 2008 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

New documents show that Rep Don Young (R-AK) has raised $54,000 for his legal defense fund. This money was raised mainly from Alaskan... Read More

Stevens Obtained $3.2 billion in earmarks between 2004-2008

July 29, 2008 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

Taxpayers for Common Sense has released the last four years of earmark data for Alaska to help create an understanding of how powerful... Read More

TCS Requests Don Young Campaign Remove Misleading Ads

July 24, 2008 | Press Releases | Earmarks & Appropriations , Transportation & Infrastructure

Recently it was brought to our attention that Alaskans for Don Young has been running radio ads claiming that Taxpayers for Common Sense... Read More

Should Duke Cunningham be Pardoned?

July 20, 2008 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations , National Security

Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA), currently in the middle of an 8-year prison sentence for taking $2.4 million in bribes from... Read More

TCS, Allies and Taxpayers Find 76 Lawmakers Publish Earmark Requests

July 14, 2008 | Press Releases | Earmarks & Appropriations

Every year lawmakers submit tens of thousands of earmark requests to the Appropriations Committees. Only a percentage of these make it... Read More

Schoolyard Antics Derail House Spending Bills

July 09, 2008 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

In a tussle worthy of a schoolyard, the spending bosses in the House of Representatives have decided to hang up their cleats and go home.... Read More

House Appropriations Committee Smackdown

June 25, 2008 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

The House appropriations committee had a melt down today. After a bit of posturing, it appeared they were going to get down to business... Read More

House Appropriations Committtee Disciplines DHS

June 24, 2008 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

The $40 billion Homeland Security spending bill marked up by the House Appropriations Committee yesterday is $2.3 billion over the... Read More

Appropriations Committees Ramp Up Activities

June 19, 2008 | Our Take | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations

Theyyyyyyyyyyy’re back. On both sides of the Capitol, the spending gears are starting to turn as the Appropriations committees meet to... Read More

Don Young’s “A Team” Lobbyist List Uncovered

June 17, 2008 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

A two-page “survival guide” issued in 2007 to interns in Rep. Don Young’s (R–AK) office lists nine transportation lobbyists as “The A... Read More

Istook Sent Earmarks to Six Abramoff Clients

June 02, 2008 | Press Releases | Earmarks & Appropriations

A chief of staff for a former House Appropriations Committee Chairman pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to conspiring to defraud... Read More

DeMint Earmark Moratorium Amendment Fails

March 12, 2008 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

So it finally happened at 10:30 tonight. The DeMint earmark moratorium amendment to the budget resolution came to a vote. When faced... Read More

More on Earmark Transparency

March 11, 2008 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations

We’re still waiting to see what Speaker Pelosi does; word has been that it will be today. Over in the Senate, it keeps getting more... Read More

TCS Requests Ethics Investigation of Coconut Road Earmark

September 26, 2007 | Letters & Testimony | Earmarks & Appropriations

The Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Chairwoman The Honorable Doc Hastings, Ranking Member House Committee on Standards of Official... Read More

Ask Senator Stevens to Give Up Committee Assignments

July 31, 2007 | Letters & Testimony | Earmarks & Appropriations

Dear Leader McConnell: I'm writing to request that you ask Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) to temporarily recuse himself from his... Read More

Time to Learn the Hard Lessons from Hurricane Katrina: Support Real Fiscal Reforms in Water Resources Development Act

September 20, 2006 | Letters & Testimony | Earmarks & Appropriations , Transportation & Infrastructure

Dear Member of Congress: For many years, our organizations have examined the standard operating practices of the Corps of Engineers and... Read More

Support Amendments to Reign in Agriculture Appropriations’ Earmarks

May 22, 2006 | Letters & Testimony | Agriculture , Earmarks & Appropriations

May 23, 2006 Dear Representative: Taxpayers for Common Sense Action urges you to support... Read More

TCS Applauds the Elimination of the Alaska Bridges to Nowhere

November 16, 2005 | Statements | Earmarks & Appropriations , Transportation & Infrastructure

Washington, D.C. – The following is a written statement from Jill Lancelot, President of Taxpayers for Common Sense: The conferees on... Read More

Bulldozed: How Taxpayers Get Leveled by Highway Pork

Despite the call on Capitol Hill for fiscal belt tightening to deal with record deficits, the House has shown an unprecedented hunger for... Read More

Federal Distress

March 30, 1998 | Our Take | Earmarks & Appropriations , National Security

When it comes to shipping supplies, the Department of Defense is no Federal Express. DOD loses track of sixty percent of the $5 billion... Read More

Green Scissors Michigan Released

May 11, 1997 | Statements | Budget & Tax , Earmarks & Appropriations , Natural Resources

In the first single state effort of the national Green Scissors Campaign, TCS and the Michigan Land Use Institute released the Green... Read More

Weekly Wastebasket

Our weekly reality-check for federal spending. View All

September 13, 2013

Syria: Excuse 535 To Not Cut the Deficit

Volume XVIII No. 37 Possible action in Syria has become the most recent excuse du jour for Pentagon boosters... Read More