Just so you don’t think recess means relaxation for TCS, we’ve just released our findings and database on the FY08 Senate Interior Approps bill. Soon to come will be the Labor/HHS earmark database as well.

 Somebody forgot to tell the Senate that Congress is supposed to be heavily paring back earmarks. Despite having 335 fewer mouths to feed (with only 100 Senators), they managed to cram in 396 Senator requested earmarks worth $543.5 million. That’s almost 5 times as much as the House included ($112.9 million). Wow, that’s going to be an interesting conference as they try to bridge that gap and stay within budget limits.

 The usual suspects were the big winners with $21.673 million for projects requested by the new Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), including $1 million for the Leetown Science Center and $450,000 for trail improvements on the Monongahela National Forest. And $10.278 million for Idaho earmarks requested by Senator Larry Craig R-ID), the ranking member on the Senate Interior Appropriations Committee. Projects include: $200,000 for the Historic Wilson Theatre (http://cinematreasures.org/theater/2653/) in Rupert, ID, $450,000 for a 1902 schoolhouse restoration project (http://chesterfieldfoundation.org/history.html) in Chesterfield, ID, $3.168 million for Gold Creek Ranch, and $1.5 million for weed control project funding to Cooperative Weed Management Areas in Idaho.

 We could go on … and we did. We found 18 undisclosed earmarks worth $265.7 million and the President got 34 earmarks worth $91.2 million.